The Elf Lord Mistress
by Precious Pup
Summary: McGee asked to work secretly with CIA, confides in Jenny,keeps secret from rest of team. Gibbs suspious,whole team involved Fornell. JIBBS Poss Jenny/Tim?, McGiva. McGee now missing & being held hostage Team in pursuit. Fights,explosions,team in danger
1. Chapter 1

(This is a gift for Elflordmistress. I challenged her ( I am assuming she is a woman?) to a McGee/Director pairing as she has being doing some great work with them lately. And instead I had to write this down to get it out of my head. More chapters to come)

Chapter One

Gibbs looked up as Fornell stepped off the elevator and headed towards his desk

'Tobias, I wasn't expecting you'

'That's kind of the point Jethro'. He looked around taking in the empty desks as the rest of Gibbs' team were about their duties 'I think we need to take this into your office'

Gibbs eyebrows were up 'That bad huh?'

Fornell just looked at him 'You have no idea'

Gibbs was up and out of his desk in an instant and the two men strode to the elevator. Once in Gibbs flicked the emergency switch and turned to Fornell, watching his face trying to read what he saw there. 'So what's this all about?'

'I don't know if you already know or have guessed and since there is no easy way to explain I will simply show you' Fornell reached inside his coat for a large manila envelope and pulled out some photos, handing them to Gibbs.

Gibbs reached out for the slim pile and looked at the first one. It was outside Jenny's house, late at night. She was silhouetted in the doorway with light spilling out behind her, she was talking to someone, a man. His back was to the camera and Gibbs couldn't see his face. The next shot the man was walking away from her door while she stood there watching him. The man looked familiar somehow, the stance, the frame. Suddenly the next picture showed the figure closer up as the watcher zoomed in to get an ID.

Gibbs turned to Fornell, surprise etched all over his features 'McGee!!'

'Ah so you don't know then'

'Don't know what?'

Fornell gestured at the pile and Gibbs continued flicking through.

Shots of McGee and the Director having dinner together, leaning towards each other intimate at a small table. Smiling, talking, eating.

McGee and Jenny in McGee's gleaming Porsche. The top was down and the wind was whipping Jenny's hair loose. She was smiling at McGee while he spoke to her about something. He had his sunglasses on and looked relaxed in her company. He looked young and handsome in the sunlight while she had her hand up trying to capture some of the strands of hair behind her ear.

McGee escorting her into an expensive Hotel, his hand on the small of her back as they walked through the doors into the glass and marble foyer.

McGee and Jenny laughing together as they ate an ice cream cone while leaning up against a small brick wall.

Gibbs gut churned and he shut his eyes while his mind screamed.

Betrayal!

Never mind that she wasn't his. She didn't tell him. _He_ didn't tell him.

'I don't believe it. Not McGee. Photos can be forged.'

Fornell quirked an eyebrow 'Interesting that you say not McGee instead of not the Director?'

Gibbs just stared at him.

'Besides I thought you would say that so I brought this along as well'. He pulled out a tape recorder.

Gibbs headed Jenny's voice, tiny but clear through the little machine 'I will meet you after work, it will be late. Gibbs is coming over and I don't know how long he will be'.

Suddenly there was McGee's gentle tenor and Gibbs' blood ran cold.

'Shall I come over to your place?'

'No it's too obvious I never know whose watching me. We will meet at the usual place'

Gibbs stared at the machine in Fornell's hand

'Is that it?'

Fornell shook his head 'There is one bit more. It does tend to indicate that their relationship is ……….intimate. Do you want to hear it?

Gibbs just nodded and Fornell continued

Jenny voice again 'And so how is 'Big Boy' today?' Gibbs screwed up his eyes as he could hear the teasing in her voice, the sultry smile he had seen a thousand times before. Directed at him.

McGee sighed before answering 'Jenny must you say it that way? I know you're just teasing me you know. Like you and everyone else in this building.' McGee sounded down, frustrated.

Gibbs listened as Jenny's voice changed from teasing to almost protective?

'Now Tim, how could I tease you? I have seen what you can do with a USB key remember? You're a dangerous man'

McGee laughed at this and then they quickly arranged to meet at their 'usual' place.

Gibbs kept his eyes closed as his world reordered itself around the concept of McGee, Timothy McGee being Jennifer Shepard's 'Big Boy'.

'How long Fornell?'

'How long have I known or how long do we believe this has been going on?'

'Both'

'Well those first photos were taken some three months ago. After the Sec Nav ball. He goes in at 2.30am and comes out around 5.00am. That's the first time anything turned up on the radar but at first we didn't think anything of it. Figured returning something to her she left behind, had a drink maybe, couldn't sleep who knows? It was only later that we started to collect some more bits and pieces that we became suspicous. I was let in on the loop not long ago. When I saw who was involved I decided to unofficially inform you.'

Gibbs nodded 'Thanks Fornell.' His mind was still spinning. Three months? At least? He remembered seeing her the next day after the Sec Nav Ball. She had been tired, preoccupied. Gibbs had teased her about staying out too late and she had snapped at him, telling him to mind his own business. Was that why she had been preoccupied?

Fornell continued 'They have been careful I will give them that. Those couple of photos and that little bit of tape is all we have and it's far from conclusive but I think you can see that given who is involved……'

Fornell watched as Gibbs stood silent, his mind just running over all the thousands of little times he had seen them in a room together. Could he tell now? Should he have seen? Since when had he become Tim? And her Jenny? Why hadn't they told him? Ok that one was a little more obvious but still….

Fornell reached out and flipped the switch releasing the elevator knowing that what ever was going on in Gibbs' head he couldn't help now.

Ohhhhhh what's going on? Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

(Three months prior)

Timothy McGee sat down at his reserved table and looked around. He was a bit nervous but then again he was meeting with a member of his 'Fan Club' so it wasn't like she was going to dislike him. She probably knew more about Thom E Gemcity than he did.

He peered over his shoulder to see if she had come in as part of the crowd by the door. Suddenly he turned as a woman sat down across from him.

'Ahh Terri?' McGee's heart hammered in his chest as one of the most devastatingly beautiful woman he had ever seen smiled at him.

'Ahh no. Terri suddenly became occupied this evening' She smiled and leaned closer and McGee couldn't help but dip his eyes down towards her full breasts rather prominently on display.

His brain suddenly decided to join the party and he looked up questioningly 'She suddenly became occupied this evening? That's strange as she seemed very keen when we spoke. I'm Tho….

'You're NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee.

McGee sat back and looked at the woman searchingly. 'What is it you want?'

She leaned forward again and grabbed his tie slowly pulling him towards her across the table. McGee knew every man in the restaurant wanted right then to be in his place, to hear what she was going to say to him. He knew in his gut it wasn't going to be good.

She whispered seductively into his ear 'Ever wanted to play with the Big Boys?'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Tim sat in his car outside the Directors house, wondering what on earth he was doing. It was nearly 2.30 in the morning and she had only just returned from the Sec Nav Ball. He had watched as the town car had pulled up and her driver had escorted her into the house. It showed to his complete mental occupation that he had even forgotten that it was on tonight and she would be in attendance. He had sat there for hours now debating whether he should go and speak to her. At least it was late enough that no one would notice if he went up now. She would be getting ready to go to bed soon. If he was going to talk to her it was going to be now or never.

He had parked the car a few houses down. She lived in a nice neighborhood and the Porsche wasn't as noticeable as it might have been but still he was cautious. It had been days now since he had been approached and he felt like he could think of nothing else.

He took a deep breath and calmly walked up to her door and knocked .He waited a moment then realizing the still night had cautioned him to knock perhaps a little too quietly he knocked again harder. He was sure she would have a camera on the door for security and that was confirmed when she swung the door open with a questioning, 'Agent McGee, what brings you here this time of night?'

Tim looked at her still in her silk evening gown, removing her earrings as she watched him warily. 'I need to speak to you in private, now if possible.'

Jenny Shepard went to open her mouth to ask further but then she realized who it was she was speaking to. This was McGee. He would never come to her home unless it was private. He would never bother her at 2.30 in the morning unless it was very important. This wasn't Jethro she was speaking to. Hell Jethro would have already come through the door and be making himself a coffee by now. It wasn't even Tony whose joking nature she had got to know better over the last year. This was McGee, a man who still stood up when she came into the room. She opened the door and stepped back to allow him in.

Tim was glad she didn't ask him stupid questions right away as he didn't know what he would have said standing there definitely imposing himself on her civility.

He followed her through to the lounge and sat on her plush deep seated couch. She sat across from him, still elegant, her trim ankles angled together, the long split up the side of her dress revealing just a bit too much of the Directors thigh for his comfort.

He looked up into her eyes and decided to take the plunge.  
'I have been approached…'

'Approached? By who?' It had been clear by the look in his eyes that he hadn't meant it romantically. Another agency?

Tim took a deep breath 'The CIA'

Suddenly McGee's reason to speak with her privately became very clear. The CIA didn't dabble in nice little chats with Field Agents without some serious cause.

Jenny took a deep breath and wondered when she would get a night to herself. A night where she could just curl up in a hot bath with a drink and a book. By the sounds of this conversation it was going to be a while.

'Start at the beginning, McGee and tell me everything'

"Well that's just it. I am at the beginning. I was approached by a woman. I was meant to be meeting… someone else.' Jenny didn't push to see who the someone else was at this stage. 'This woman turned up in her place. She knew who I was, where I lived, what I did and what I could do.'

'Could do?'

'She seemed to think I would be able to access certain information if I required. I think that was how she put it. I believe she was referring to me being able to hack into certain systems. Anyway she asked me if I had ever wanted to play with the Big Boys?'

Tim leaned forward to see if any of this was registering on the Directors face. She simply looked back at him.

'And?'

Tim's face fell. She didn't know! The Director of NCIS didn't know about this operation. This made it all so much worse and much more complicated.

Jenny looked at McGee's face and realized what he had been hoping for. She shook her head. 'I'm sorry McGee. As soon as I saw you on my doorstep I figured something was up. But no I have not been informed of a request to involve you in any operation, CIA or otherwise. Are you sure that they are CIA?

McGee smiled, 'I am an investigator, Director. Yes they are CIA. There are several involved although I have only met the woman. They are hesitant to tell me details about the operation until they know I'm on board. They gave me a couple of days to get back to them, which is now nearly up. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know if it was some sort of test to see if I would go behind your back or if they had told you but for some reason you wanted me to make the decision on my own or even if they were ….'

'Rogue agents?'

McGee nodded. 'Exactly. I have been thinking and thinking but it's a Catch 22. I need more information to base my decision on but they won't give me any until I come on board.'

Jenny acknowledged the situation with a shake of her head. 'And they don't want anyone else to know?'

McGee shook his head 'They said something about the security of the operation.'

'Even Gibbs doesn't know?' She said surprised.

McGee smiled at her a little sadly. 'That's the other thing I have been thinking about. Should I tell anyone and who it should be? Gibbs' rule if you can't keep a secret tell one other person only. You're my one person. You are the Director of NCIS and if there are operations involving your agents going on without you knowing about it….. He didn't need to finish as the implications rolled out in front of them.

He continued 'Besides Gibbs isn't really known for his tact. He would have probably phoned them up and asked them what they were up to' They both smiled at the truth in this statement before falling back into their own thoughts.

She was going to need to tread very carefully here. Someone could be trying to take her or her agency down. What did they need McGee for? Why go behind her back?

'Thank you McGee. This is very valuable information in its own right'

'Should I accept the invitation and see if I can find out what they are trying to do?' His voice was almost hopeful as he watched her pace from across the room.

'That isn't my call McGee. I don't know what I would be getting you into. You have already given me information that I can try and use to my advantage. I will be discrete but we need to know who this group is and what they are planning. I will ensure that if you do decide to work with them this conversation with me will be noted in your private file and I will try and give you what back up I can. But it is a total unknown and you are unfamiliar with….….'

'I want to do it.' McGee looked up at her firmly. 'They have picked me out for a specific purpose, for a reason. They need me to do something for them.' He smiled then and Jenny realized how much he had changed since she had first met him. He was not only older, but calmer and more confident 'Besides I'm pretty curious, aren't you?'

Jenny laughed and they sat down together to discuss in more detail what they did know, how he was going to accept their invitation to 'play with the Big Boys' and possible ramifications of McGee simultaneously working for two different federal agencies.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Present time

It had been a few days since Fornell's revelation had rocked Gibbs' world. He had watched McGee, he had watched the Director and he had watched his team. And seen nothing.

He strained, watching McGee to see every subtle nuance in body language, a tensing if he mentioned her name, a look towards her office but he revealed nothing. Gibbs needed to know as it felt like the _not knowing_ was eating him alive inside. It was a quicksilver cancer which would shift around his body clutching at his heart, choking him one minute and then clouding his vision the next. It was his new obsession. Once it had been Jenny Sheppard herself with her bright laugh and brighter hair and now it had shifted to whether her lover was a man he had trusted and trained to watch his back.

There was still this doubt even with the pictures and the tape. It just seemed so unlikely that Jenny Sheppard and Timothy McGee could be lovers. Even just thinking about it was enough to wonder when he had stepped into an alternate reality.

McGee? Young, gentle, curious intelligent and honest Timothy McGee paired with the older, fiercely determined, stubborn and beautifully flawed Jennifer Shepard?

His mind skipped over the pain he would feel if he discovered it was true, choosing to throw everything at the task to simply find out the truth.

He needed completion.

Part of the problems was they never really interacted much together. He had frequently requested for Jen to stay out of investigations and now he yearned for her to come down the stairs and poke her nose in.

But she stayed away.

Gibbs felt that if he could just watch them together for a while, long enough that they would let their guard down then he might see once and for all. A look, a touch would be all he would need to know. He knew their faces so well. The way Jenny closed her eyes in ecstasy, the look of wide eyed fear and recently determination in McGee's green eyes.

Gibbs sighed and rubbed his hands over his tired dry eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well. Every time he shut his eyes he could see them together. Her hands clawing down his smooth unscarred back, her trim legs wrapped around his tall frame, his soft voice whispering clever innuendos into her ear while trailing full lipped kisses down her neck.

Gibbs groaned.

This and not a bullet would be what would end him. He had always had trouble letting go of an obsession once he had hold of it. Or once it had taken hold of him.

This phone rang and the subject of his thoughts requested to see him in her office. Gibbs straightened, listening to see if there was anything in her voice that might put him out of his misery. She was cross and her voice had that don't piss me off on this topic Gibbs tone to it. Interesting.

He put the phone down and headed up to her office.

Director Shepard looked at the pile of insurance reports on her desk. As if she didn't have enough budget concerns as it was. She knew Jethro was going to give her grief about this but his team had really left her with no choice. She would be firm and insist. Besides she could probably count on Tim to subtly back her up. She had seen the way he looked sometimes when he practically fell out of the car after Gibbs, Ziva or even Tony sometimes had been driving. She squared her shoulders and waited for the onslaught that was Leroy Jethro Gibbs to stride into her office. She didn't have to wait long.

She took an instant to compose herself and made sure she was calmly looking down reading reports when he barged in.

"Jethro" She looked up and smiled pleasantly and watched as he eyed her suspiosiously.

"Director"

She smiled further, so it wasn't Jenny today then. "I have a new task for your team to complete. It is not a request. I have received yet another insurance report as a result of Ziva's driving or should I say crashing and your team is at risk of becoming uninsurable if this record continues. So your entire team will be required to complete a safe driving course as soon as possible. I have anticipated that you would be hesitant regarding this matter so I have booked your team in for this afternoon as I know you have no current cases to occupy your time." Jenny took a breath and waited for the stream of denials and stalling to begin.

Gibbs surprised her when he simply watched her.

"Ok then Jen. How about I make you a deal? "

"A deal Jethro? I hardly think this situation occasions a de….

He cut her off. "I will have my entire team ready to start this course this afternoon with no complaints if you clear your schedule and come with us." He watched her.

"You want me to come watch?"

"Yes, if you think our skills are so bad that we require additional training then I think you should come and watch. At least this time"

Jenny took a breath and considered. This wasn't what she had been planning but well she didn't often get a chance to get out into the sunshine. It was a glorious day outside, one of those that made you feel sad to be cooped up behind a desk. Besides she had been looking for a reason to cancel that meeting with the blowhard defense committee chairman for some days now. She might also get to sneak in a conversation with Tim. She looked up at Gibbs and smiled. "It's a deal"

Gibbs grinned for the first time in days. This would be his chance. Out of the office in an unusual environment he would watch them together and he would know.

(So what do you think? Are they or aren't they? Is any of this seeming believeable? Please let me know as with this trio its hard for me to tell what's out of character. Please review!)


	5. Chapter 5

Jenny stood outside the building waiting for her driver and felt the warm sun on her face. She knew she had left several tasks in Cynthia's capable hands and she had managed a reasonable excuse to get out of her meetings this afternoon. She was briefly, unexpectedly free and she felt like she was playing hooky from school.

Suddenly Tim's silver Porsche smoothly pulled in front of her. The top was down and he was playing some funky up tempo Jazz on the stereo. He leaned over and opened the door for her. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Since we are going in the same direction, would you like a ride?"

Jenny smiled back. "Thanks Tim, But I have already asked Davies to bring the car around."

"You could phone him on your cell you know. It's a beautiful day for a drive with the top down" Tim slid his hands down the warm leather passenger seat and then sat back allowing her the space to make up her own mind.

Jenny considered. It was a beautiful day, one that seemed full of promise and slightly wild things. Security regulations would have her accompanied at all times, but Tim would be driving and he was a field agent so ….

"Are you carrying?"

Tim seemed a bit surprised by the question but he pulled open his jacket to show his Sig holster on his hip. "I'm still on active duty, Director even if we are just going for some driving lessons"

Jenny nodded, her security concerns answered.

"Alright then. I accept. You're right it is a beautiful day to go for a drive with the top down."

Tim smiled. He really didn't know if she would accept or not but then again women had never been easy for him to read and this one was more complicated than most.

They pulled out and waited their turn to go through the security checkpoint, while Jenny phoned and cancelled Davies bringing the town car around. Jenny waived at Ziva who was a few cars ahead and she waived back at them. As they accelerated out through security and away from the yard, Jenny turned to face Tim as he drove.

"Well we don't get many chances to talk like this, so we should make the most of it. Spill"

Tim smiled. She was so curious. She wanted to know the details pertaining to the case of course but she wanted to know them also for herself. He had realized it was part of what probably made her a good field agent once. He tried to explain quickly all the little bits and pieces they had been asking him to do since they had last been able to speak freely plus all the other things they seemed to be either letting slip or he was guessing at.

He still didn't have the big picture. They seemed to be keeping him in isolation from others involved, possibly so they couldn't piece things together. Some of what he was being asked was mundane, like collecting someone dry cleaning through to sinister such as checking the health records of someone's vulnerable elderly mother who was in a nursing home.

It seemed barely minutes since they started and suddenly they were at the drivers training track where the classes on driver's safety were held.

Tim swerved suddenly and pulled off to a side entrance rather than going through to the car park. He turned to Jenny, the motor idling.

"Do you ever get tired of being underestimated?"

"What do you mean?"

Tim smiled sadly at her. "Of course, you wouldn't get underestimated. You're Director Sheppard" He turned and looked out onto the race track and looked pensive for a moment.

Jenny felt the change in mood and wasn't sure what had brought it on.

"Tim?" She reached for his arm when he suddenly turned to her and smiled.

"Jenny, do you trust me?" He revved the engine and the huge horsepower under the bonnet leapt into life straining against its restraints.

Jenny looked across at the man she had gotten to know so well over the last few months. He was so much stronger than she had ever guessed. He showed a passion and drive she was only now beginning to recognize. His complexities were enthralling to her. So intelligent and yet still so trusting of the world at large, even with all he had seen. How could she not trust him when he trusted her with so much?

She smiled and faced him.

"Yes, Timothy. I do"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Gibbs swept the car park again looking for McGee or the Director. Tony and Ziva were already here talking to their 'Instructor' He sighed in frustration and ran his hands through his hair. He wanted to get this over and done with.

Ridiculous.

Safe Driver Instruction?

Ziva saw his look and called over to Gibbs. "If it is McGee and the Director you are looking for they are coming together in McGee's car. They were only a couple of cars behind me through the checkpoint so they shouldn't be far away"

Gibbs breath caught in his throat. McGee and the Director had come in the same car? This hadn't been in his plan! They might already have had their chance to talk about him, to laugh at him, to get their story straight. He wasn't thinking again. He should have thought of this!

Calm down Jethro! McGee would offer a seat to the Director if they were going to the same place and she needed a ride. In fact it would be considered almost un McGee like if he didn't. It didn't mean anything. Unbidden came the thought of the gleaming Porsche pulled off onto a quiet country lane while the two of them desperately ravaged each other in the open air. Seconds of thrusting clawing ecstasy complete with a few minutes to clean up and calm down before joining the fray.

Oh God!

Gibbs head slapped himself. Just because he and Jen had done that once DID NOT mean that McGee and the Director were doing the same thing now.

His temper at breaking point he turned on his heel and strode over to the instructor.

"Let's get on with this"

Terri smiled. "Just a moment. I normally have one of my pursuit students show you what can be done when you know what you doing. That way you start the classes with the end point in mind"

Suddenly with a barely controlled roar a silver Porsche shot out onto the race track in a cloud of dust, tires squealing the rear fishtailing slightly at the huge acceleration before it was corrected and the car flashed around the track.

Tony's jaw dropped open as he recognized the car "What the hell is Probie doing!"

Almost in answer the car swept through the turn, eating up the miles in seconds still accelerating. The sun flashed off the silver paintwork and trim so it seemed the car was some fantastical creation designed for one thing. Speed.

Faster.

Faster.

And even faster. The car screamed around the track as if demons were chasing it, every expensive penny spent on it in full display as it hugged the turns and gloried at its own acceleration. The engine screamed happily finally released from its dreary commuter responsibilities.

Gibbs watched squinting his eyes in the sun. Was she still with him? He saw her flash of red hair in the passenger seats she held herself braced against the dash. Was she laughing? He grabbed binoculars resting on the stands behind them and peered through.

McGee his face determined, concentrating yet with still a small smile on his lips. Jenny was watching him, her face flushed with excitement as they smashed speed limits. McGee turned his head slightly and said something to her and she nodded.

Gibbs heart stopped as the Porsche suddenly seemed to loose control and swerve down off the curved track heading for the grassed center. Too Fast! Too Fast!

"Quick get someone in here now they are going to crash!"

Terri laughed "No don't worry. He's just showing off. He wants to do some turns and the track shreds those expensive tires of his. The grass is easier to slip and slide around on."

Gibbs turned to the woman, enraged "What?!"

"That's Timothy McGee isn't it? He phoned this afternoon and said he was coming. I was surprised when I saw his name on this beginner course as he has already completed all the way up to advanced pursuit. Last year when he got the Porsche he came over and said he wanted to make sure he could handle a car with that sort of horsepower. Something about an incident with a bus when he was younger. He was good and completed everything. Excellent concentration. I actually asked if he would be interested in learning some stunt stuff but he said he had gotten too busy at work"

Gibbs, Tony and Ziva stared at Terri before the flashing silver car in the center took up their concentration. Backwards it was swerving through traffic cones at some unbelievable speed. Suddenly it turned and spun completely around in a circle. Round and round. The grass ripped up from the ground leaving shredded dirt and the car slid sideways and then again into a figure eight. Gibbs watched as Jenny pinned almost to her seat with the force of the turns suddenly raised her arms in the air as if she was on a fairground ride.

Even over the screaming engine they could hear her joyful 'Whooooooo' followed by her breathless laugh as McGee continued whipping the car through the complicated course laid out across the grass.

Tony laughed "Well it looks like the Director is having some fun"

Gibbs stared at the car as it gradually slowed before coming to a halt in the center, his fists clenched at his sides.

The car was still for a moment and Gibbs watched as McGee turned to the Director laughing making sure she was ok before heading over to them.

Tony and Ziva rushed over to the car as it pulled up alongside them. McGee looked smug while the Director looked breathless and like she had just gone through a wind tunnel, which essentially she had.

"Well Tim, that was a hell of a ride! I didn't know you could drive like that?" Jenny was still gasping, her heart hammering at a thousand beats a minute. She felt so alive, her face flushed and joyful.

Tony gleefully interrupted "It looks like our Probie has been keeping stuff from us again! He has already completed all the courses up to Advanced Pursuit. He doesn't even need to be here!"

Ziva laughed "And here I thought you drove like a Grandmother"

McGee laughed again "Just because I drive carefully doesn't mean I can't drive fast or well when I need too Ziva. I've just never been given the chance. And Tony I wasn't keeping things from you." He paused here thoughtful and Gibbs wondered what else he had been concealing

" It was just if I told you about taking these classes I would have to have told you about getting the Porchse which would have lead to my book and well once you did know there was a lot of other stuff going on that it didn't seem to be important to mention it."

Jenny took the opportunity to get back onto solid land and she slipped out of the car to stand, her hand at her throat beside the car. She could feel her racing pulse through her neck. She caught Ziva's eye. "If ever McGee asks you if you trust him, say No!" The two woman burst into peals of laughter while Tony who had jumped into the Directors seat was oohing and arhhing and generally stroking McGee's ego.

Gibbs fists clenched further. He asked her if she trusted him? And she obviously said yes? But what did that mean really? They all had to trust each other. They were a team. They had each others lives in their hands. With all the excitement he couldn't tell what was going on. Jenny was flushed, excited and McGee was happy basking in Tony's attention.

Terri came over smiling "Well thank you Tim for that demonstration but I think if we are ever going to get this done then we should start. Are you going to stay?"

Suddenly everyone turned to look at McGee realizing that he didn't need to be there and he was the only one without a blemish on his driving record.

He looked across at Jenny.

"Director? It's your call. I don't mind"

Jenny looked at the others then back at McGee. "Well I suppose it would be a waste for you to spend the rest of the afternoon here and I'm sure there is something back at work you can help with. You might as well go"

McGee nodded and started up the car again. He paused "Oh are you going to need a lift back?"

Jenny turned to Gibbs a silent request in her eyes. Gibbs spoke and instead of offering her a lift back with him he surprised her, again.

"You met your part of the deal Jenny. You came out here. I'm sure you definitely have something better to do with your time. You should go back with McGee and get some work done before Cynthia starts phoning"

She looked surprised but nodded. "Ok, have fun guys" With that she hopped back into the Porsche and a moment later she was gone.

Tony and Ziva had already been rounded up by Terri and Ziva in particular seemed keen to tackle the traffic cones……. at speed.

Gibbs watched where the Porsche had just been and wondered. Jenny hadn't known about McGee taking the courses already so surely ………….? He had taken the courses a year ago so what if he just hadn't got around to telling her? What if on their way back they took the time that no one expected them to have together and ………?

He sighed, his mind in turmoil and turned on his heel no better off than he had been this morning. He headed after the rest of his team who seemed to be currently arguing about who should drive the more powerful car. Something about balls.

(Please review people and let me know how I am doing with this? Are they aren't they?)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Two and half months ago

The first time that Timothy McGee stayed over at Jennifer Shepard's house was the point at which everything changed.

When Jenny looked back and tried to pick where they had changed she had decided it was then. He had been hurt, not in a big way but he sported a large angry red graze that ran down the entire length of his ribs and he had received a rough knock on the head. It was the knock on the head that had concerned her. She had insisted that he stay at her place in the guest room so she could keep an eye on him. It didn't seem serious enough to go to the hospital, besides that created paperwork which could be tracked. After some consideration Jenny decided she didn't want to simply leave him on his own in his tiny apartment.

McGee had been hesitant to say the least but she had been firm and eventually he was tucking his overnight bag into the second guest room. His shirt was slightly bloodstained and torn from his tussle with the concrete and his large eyes still had that slightly alarmed look she had started to recognize. She had insisted he take a shower and when he was ready that he should come downstairs and join her for dinner.

It had only been after she had started to arrange some dinner for them both that she realized she had forgotten to provide him with any towels. She grabbed several thick fluffy bath sheets and headed back up the stairs.

She had seen him then coming out of the bathroom at the end of the hall, taking the few steps down the hallway before turning into the spare room. He had been naked except for a large bath sheet wrapped securely around his waist and he had a second smaller towel on his head which he was using to fiercely rub his hair dry. Jenny instantly realized two things. First that he couldn't see her and the second was that if he knew she had seen him he would be terribly embarrassed about her seeing him in a state of undress. So she stood still at the top of the stairs and said nothing.

And watched.

It seemed silly when she thought of it later when she was alone in her bed that night that she had never considered him as a man before. She knew he was a man obviously but had never made that connection.

Sex.

Timothy McGee was a man and she was a woman. Technically they could have sex together. It was a ridiculous thought, he was a subordinate for a start but once her brain had made that synaptic leap it was there for good. She couldn't ever find herself as having not considered that aspect of their relationship ever again.

She had watched as he toweled his hair and rubbed his neck dry. His warm damp skin seemed to have faint wisps of steam still coming of it. With his boyish features concealed from her in the depths of a towel and his chest bare to her eyes from the waist up it was very apparent that he was a man. And not a small one either. She saw the firm muscles in his arms move as he toweled himself dry. The large graze running viciously down his side simply seemed to emphasize his physicality.

Jenny had held her breath and in an instant he was inside the room with the door shut. She considered her options. He had obviously found the upstairs linen cupboard himself. She turned and headed back to the kitchen and decided it would be best to concentrate on dinner rather than the fact she had a single man spending the night in her home alone with her.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been a surreal experience the first time he had stayed over at the Directors house. Tim realized they really didn't know each other that well and suddenly he found himself perusing her linen cupboard, using her shower and running her expensive scented guest soaps over his naked body. 

They had had a surprisingly pleasant dinner together and had discussed the case. He still felt foolish for confronting them. He had wanted to test the waters and see how far these so called Big Boys would go. But most of all he wanted some answers.

Instead they had simply laughed and after over powering him had thrown him to the ground. An instant later he felt himself being dragged across the rough concrete, his shirt and skin beneath it being shredded. It had been humiliating how easily they had surprised him. He had not been expecting them to use force like that rather than simply saying no to his demands. But he would not make that mistake again.

It hadn't been long after dinner though when he had felt his eyes sag and Jenny had gently insisted he go to bed. He had been embarrassed, it was as if he was still some errant teenager in her eyes. But his aching body had not protested the way his bruised ego did and he acknowledged the sense of him getting some rest.

After some minutes getting ready for bed he had started to head back downstairs to get a glass so he could have a drink of water beside the bed. He really didn't fancy wandering around in the middle of the night in her house in case he woke thirsty. She might conceivably shoot him as an intruder among other things. 

It was then that he saw her from his vantage spot on the stairs. She was in the lounge on the deep soft couch, reading. Something about the scene stilled him and he stood there and just watched her. It seemed almost as if he would intruding if he broke the stillness of the scene.

It was the vulnerability she showed. Her bare feet tucked up beside her, her hand on her cheek as she read her book, a single glass of wine on the table beside her, her glasses perched on the end of her nose. She was completely relaxed and she looked beautiful in the soft flare of the fireplace. This was Jenny Shepard not The Director of NCIS before him. He had obviously thought about how attractive she was. He might be 'McGeek' but he was still a man but it had never occurred to him that she was a woman that you could have a relationship with.

This woman in front of him was someone who could concevably eat breakfast in bed with a lover on Sunday mornings. This woman could converse on books and politics while neck deep in a scented bubble bath. This was a woman who could out shoot him on the target range and yet seeing her here like this she seemed different.

This was the woman who existed beyond what he saw at work. It made him less nervous around her somehow. It was as if he had glimpsed her for the first time as human. She was fallible, she made mistakes, she had tiny feet and she wore soft T shirts.

Tim considered for a moment and then turned and silently went back up the stairs to his room, unnoticed by the woman on the couch.

It was later that night as Jenny slipped alone in between the cool cotton sheets of her large bed and switched off her bedroom light that she wondered if Tim would blush in the dark.

(Come on people let me know who you think this is going. Who do you want to hear from now? Tobias? Mystery Blonde? Abby? Tony?) 


	8. Chapter 8

Present Time

Tobias Fornell loved to meddle. He loved to stick his nose into other peoples business. It was probably one of the reasons he was so good at what he did. He made an art of it and few people suspected that he was closer to an old woman gossiping on her porch step than the distant formal Federal Agent he portrayed.

This though was extra interesting. It was almost personal. He was doing his duty of course by reporting to the Director but still. This was going to be very interesting. He might even get some answers of his own out of it.

He had spoken to Cynthia and arranged to meet with the Director. He had also asked if it was possible to have the meeting at a time when Gibbs and his team were expected to be out. Cynthia, like the excellent assistant that she was asked no further questions and Fornell arrived unmolested and practically unseen at Director Shepard's office.

He decided to be brisk and official and simply allow her reaction to lead him. She did not know of a similar meeting he had had with Leroy Jethro Gibbs some days earlier and he did not see it necessary for Jethro to find out about this meeting with Jenny. Unless it was absolutely necessary anyway. For security reasons. He did love to watch the unfolding drama of the tight knit NCIS office. So much more interesting than the drab FBI office he operated amongst.

He smiled at her as she watched him cautiously over her glasses, her desk littered with funding applications and request forms.

"Director"

"Fornell, and to what do I owe this rare pleasure?"

"I just thought I would take advantage of my privileged position with the FBI to bestow some possibly important information on you." He reached into his coat and pulled out an identical manila envelope to that he had showed to Gibbs days earlier. He watched as she reached for it, her curiosity already burning bright.

She tipped the handful of large blown up photos out of the envelope onto her desk and spread them out. Her eyes glanced first at one then darted across to the other taking each in turn.

Fornell watched to see her reaction. So far she was a professional as he knew she would be. Not a twitch.

"And what interest does the FBI have in what Agent McGee does with his spare time?"

Her voice was cool feigning disinterest but the intensity of her eyes betrayed her. 

Interesting.

"The woman he is with in these pictures is believed to have links with several senior underworld figures. While we are unsure as to the extent of her involvement her continuing presence is not in dispute. We thought it might interest you as the Director of a Federal Agency that one of your agents is involved in an obvious sexual relationship with someone of such ominous reputation. Especially as the same agent has stated that he is not currently involved with anyone."

Jenny's head spun and she dropped her eyes from Fornell's watchful gaze. Spread out before her were photos of Tim and another woman apparently in the process of ripping each others clothes off in the corridor of some hotel room. 

She was beautiful, there was no denying that. Tall and well built and wearing a short red silky dress that hid nothing including than that she was wearing no underwear. Long blonde hair tumbling down her shoulders. Impossibly high stiletto heels. And she was pressed up against Tim pinning him to the wall, her hands roaming all over him. Clutching at his shirt. Kissing him with passion, with abandon.

Suddenly the next pictures showed them roles reversed where Tim had her against the wall and he was kissing down her neck, her head thrown back in ecstasy, her eyes closed, and his hands on her breasts. She had raised one leg up and wrapped it around the back of his calf. Their bodies were locked together, straining against each other.

The next series of shots showed them moving, still wrapped around each other, stumbling almost as if drugged with passion and finally making it through the door of their hotel suite. There was one shot where he stood alone on the threshold of the room, gasping and smoky eyed and she reached for him grabbing a handful of his rumpled shirt and pulled him in.

Jenny closed her eyes for an instant to rid herself of the images. Of the heat. Of the desire. She had known he could be like that.

Oh Timothy.

What had she got him involved in?

She took a deep breath and realized that Fornell was still there watching. She composed herself. She looked up and with a grim smile dismissed him

"Thank you for bringing these to my attention Fornell. I will be paying close attention to Agent McGee's future activities. And I would ask that if you have any further information concerning him that you would bring it my attention immediately"

Fornell nodded and knowing he was dismissed headed for the door when suddenly a final question stopped him

"When were these pictures taken? "

Fornell tried to keep the smile off his face. This really was just too interesting. He schooled his expression and turned to face her again.

"Last night. She has been on the fringe of some surveillance regarding some mafia types we have been following. We suspected she was involved with one of them but instead as you can see we picked up someone unexpected. It may even have gone unnoticed except that I recognized him when the photos came across my desk. I just thought you should know."

Jenny nodded her thanks and allowed herself to succumb to the irresistible pull of the photos still spread across her desk.

Fornell pulled her office door closed silently shutting off the image of Jenny's head bowed over the photos, her eyes bright and intense, her fingers spread wide over the images.

There was something, definitely. But was she distressed over the activities of her _lover_ or of a junior agent that she had been spending a lot of time with. Perhaps working with? Now there was something he should have considered. But the look on her face would indicate that even if they were working on something together this development was unexpected. So perhaps they weren't working closely? Or maybe McGee was just one of the luckiest guys on the planet last night?

Fornell's mischief achieved he headed back to his office, his mind working through all the implications. He always loved visiting NCIS. So interesting.

(Thanks for the reviews guys! And the ideas. This one is taking on a life of it's own.

Is my Fornell too OOC? So now what? What is going on what do you think? Considering Gibbs next…..maybe Abby? Is the time frame back and forth confusing? Anyway if you could let me know that would be great. Precious Pup)


	9. Chapter 9

Gibbs sighed and rolled over in bed

Gibbs sighed and rolled over in bed. It was no good, he would never get to sleep this way. Every time he closed his eyes he could imagine them together. It shouldn't affect him so much. It had been a while since he and Jen had been together but as Tony would say their relation ship was … complicated.

There were times when the pressure got too much and they seemed to be the only two people in the world who just 'got it'. There was comfort and release in that and often in more ways than one. They had slept together on and off over the years when they needed it. It was hard for someone in her position to have 'casual' sex and dating seemed even more difficult with the hours that they both worked and the decisions that needed to be made.

He didn't even know what it was that made him think that McGee and Jenny could possibly be together. He knew aspects of both of them so well but still there were large pieces missing from his knowledge of each of them. After the whole 'Frog' incident he knew there were things she would do, had in fact done that he didn't think she would do. And McGee, well he was changing every day. Growing more confident, wilder in his own way and that damn curiosity of his, that desire to simply know things could be matched by only one other person he knew. Jen. And that's what made him worry. Was it the missing pieces of each of them that matched even if it seemed that the obvious parts of them had no compatibility at all?

He sighed and looked again at the photos Fornell had left him with. The logical investigator part of his brain told him there really wasn't anything there…. Except he had never seen McGee look that relaxed in her company. Hell McGee never looked that relaxed in his company and they had worked side by side for years. It was that bright smile of his, the hand on the small of her back, her laugh. So what had brought on this sudden intimacy? Was it sudden or had it been something that had been growing for a while and he just hadn't seen it? And why did they say nothing about it at work? The questions tumbled through his head all still unanswered, simply creating new questions that burned like acid through his waking hours.

He was going to talk to Jen. Surely he had earned enough trust over the years for him to confront her with sleeping with a younger team member and subordinate….

Why did things have to get so complicated?

Abby danced in the dark along with the pulsing lights, the music pounding her with its rhythm her hands above her head. Normally she found such release from the heavy beat a freedom to clear her head from the images of death and destruction that faced her daily. But tonight it seemed that she was simply going through the motions and her mind was still occupied. She gave up and went to sit in the cool air and allowed herself to consider what it was that was bothering her.

Timothy McGee. Once her lover and now her friend. Someone she knew at times almost too well. Something was up with him. She couldn't put her finger on it but he was different. For a start even when they were no longer together they still flirted, they still talked but now? Nothing.

It had taken a while for her to realize as their work conversations were still the same but the other side had slowly faded off. It wasn't that he was seeing someone. She was often one of the first people he told he was always so excited about being in love with someone. She sighed as she thought of how his face would light up when she came into the room. He didn't even know he was doing it. She knew he used to check her out when he thought she wasn't watching. It was comforting and even when she was down she could always count on him to come down and cheer her up. Or at least try. She had gotten used to it over the years and trials they had faced together and it was only now after all these years that she thought to consider the loss of it. 

Could she ask him out to see if he would talk about whatever it was? It seemed to be an out of work problem so maybe he would talk if he was away from work.

And Tony. 

And Gibbs. 

She was hesitant to ask him sometimes in case he got his hopes up and thought she meant going out as in a date. But it seemed that whatever was going on he had finally let her go. Did he have another? Perhaps one that didn't want him the way he wanted her? 

They didn't know then what they had lost. 

Maybe that's why he didn't want to talk to her about it as it would only bring up what they might have been together if she had let it. 

This made her feel unaccountably sad that after all this time he still seemed so alone. He was so amazing if he would just allow himself to see it sometimes. She sighed. She would speak to him in the morning, as soon as she saw him. She just wished it wasn't so complicated between them.

Jen sat up in her lounge and looked again at the photos Fornell had left her with. Tim had come to her yesterday and said that something was up. They wanted him to do something, to gain their final trust. She had encouraged him to do it. To come so far and then pull out when so close seemed inexcusable. 

But she hadn't thought they meant this.

It just seemed so fundamentally _wrong. _Sex wasa tool in their business but somehow to know that Tim had crossed that line, practically under her instruction tore at her.

There was something so …. Innocent wasn't the word as she knew he wasn't. But she couldn't find a better word. Unsullied? Uncorrupted? It shone out of his eyes and seemed to be part of the rock that his character was built on. He didn't realize it but it was part of what drew people to him. They might tease him but it was only because they envied his faith that the world was ultimately good whatever evidence he was shown to the contrary.

It had taken her a lot of time to realize what it was that drew her to him. The more time they spent together the greater the mystery seemed to be, the more she realized she had yet to learn about him.

She still remembered the look on his face at the driving track when he asked her if she ever got underestimated. She had been guilty of that. She had underestimated him, not his abilities but his character. Now she knew him better and …… her mind shied away from the image of Tim pinning the woman to the wall, her eyes closed in ecstasy as he expertly kissed and touched her.

Jen sighed and watched the fireplace flicker, wishing Tim was safe upstairs in the guest room again so she could talk to him and have one of their midnight chats. She would make hot chocolate with the marshmallows just the way he liked and they would sit by the fire and talk. He was always honest with her and that was something she had come to treasure. Few people in her world were truly honest. She had come to ……..

It was getting complicated.

Tim lay in his bed and thought about the previous night. He still felt wrong, dirty. He had done it and done it well but it didn't sit easy with him. He wondered at Gibbs, Tony and even Ziva how this sort of thing didn't seem to chip away at their souls?

But perhaps it did and they just didn't show it to him. Maybe it got easier the more you had to do it. Easier to separate the private you and the work you. Tony had certainly paid a price he hadn't expected to.

When he discovered what it was she wanted him to do he had felt his stomach flip and not in a good way. Then he had heard every little snipe Tony had ever made about how he should leave the hard stuff to him run through his head. Would he ever stop being the _Probie_? Would this be what it would take?

He remembered the first time he had seen Ellie come into the restaurant all those months ago with the proposition and how he had known straight away that she was trouble. She was his 'Handler' the person he had the most contact with. The idea he supposed was that if anyone saw them together then they could claim they were dating or having an affair.

And in a way now they were. If Tony asked him if he was seeing someone he could at least claim a 'something'.

Afterwards he had lain in the Hotel room bed and watched Ellie as she ordered room service, not even bothering to hold the sheet up to cover herself from his eyes.

She had turned to him and smiled her eyes mischievous. She was gorgeous and obviously having sex with her had been pleasurable in a way but there was something wrong about the whole scenario. She was dangerous. Beautiful, smart, sexy and very, very dangerous.

"So are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

"Already? Back onto work so soon? I must be loosing my touch." She pouted but Tim wasn't distracted, he wanted to know.

"Alright then." She turned to him her eyes hard. "There were several reasons. We needed to know how far you would go. There were aspects of your psychological profile we were, let's say unsure of. Also we needed to know how good you were to be honest. The whole don't judge a book by its cover situation almost always applies in these situations. Some of the best looking guys on the planet are so used to woman being so eager for them they are terrible in bed. You will be happy to know I was more than pleasantly surprised by you." She smirked and Tim didn't really know how happy he was to know that he had given her any pleasure at all.

"I also needed to show some of my mafia boys that I wasn't to be taken for grated as I could easily get my kicks elsewhere. And no matter what the relationship is between us having sex always, how do I put it? Brings down barriers? It is referred to as 'knowing' someone for a reason. I know a lot more about you now than I did several hours ago and I hope you about me. So it's simple really. Just consider it a trust exercise, like falling into someone's arms, only with foreplay." She got up then to have a shower and left Tim to muse on her words. 

He felt like he was falling alright. What was he going to tell Jen? She would want to know. That he had passed their little test? Did he have to tell her what it was? The thought of telling her he slept with another woman for some reason seemed the most difficult bit of this whole mess. Why? Why should that be so hard after all he had already trusted her with?

How had things got so complicated?

(Ok this whole story is a wild card as please let me know how I'm going. Where would you like it to go next?)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

The tension in the Bull Pen was palpable and Tony couldn't put his finger on why. Something was up but it didn't seem to be with a case. The Director had come down and walked through twice, her eyes darting at the then empty desks of Gibbs and McGee.

Abby had come up looking for McGee although normally he was the one going down to see her. Gibbs when he sat down at his desk with his third coffee of the day seemed extra twitchy and kept glancing up at the Directors office.

Tony flicked his eyes across at Ziva to see if she knew anything and just got a shrug.

McGee seemed quiet and in one of his contemplative moods and no matter how many balls of paper he threw at his head he didn't rise to the bait. Not once. So something was definitely up.

Suddenly Tony received an IM from McGee.

_Can we talk privately somewhere? Need to ask you something._

Tony replied_. Sure Buddy. Anytime. When?_

_Now_

Tony watched as McGee got up and instead of walking towards the elevator headed around the back of the stairs to the relative privacy offered by the sheltered spot. Tony waited an instant and then followed although he knew that Ziva and Gibbs missed nothing.

Tim had thought and thought until he thought his head would explode. He wasn't someone who could just switch off his thoughts. Instead they needed an answer. He needed to talk to someone and it really should have been Jenny but it seemed that a lot of what he wanted to talk about _was_ Jenny. How could he talk to her about the amount of space she seemed to be currently occupying in his head, especially when more of it should be taking up with NCIS work? With thinking about what the CIA really wanted him for? With contemplating what Ellie was going to do with him next?

Tim had considered everyone in the team and they all had their strengths and weaknesses.

Ziva would understand about the secrecy but she was also a personal friend of the Directors so there were aspects of their developing…………what? What was it exactly? Nothing!

Relationship?

Friendship?

This was why he needed to talk to someone. He was blowing a few small things way out of proportion. Like the way she laughed and touched her hair when she was with him. Like the talking for hours in front of the fire with the special marshmallow drinks she made just the way he liked it. She could do that for a ….a….. nephew for all he knew.

The Kiss.

Ok that was a little bit more …… What? I mean even the kiss hadn't been anything technically to write home about. Closed mouth, quick. A mere pressing of lips together.

But this was the Director! She didn't just kiss people randomly? Did she?

Tim had considered Gibbs but he and the Director had……… Something at some stage anyway. Besides he would have to start with how and why he had chosen to bring Jenny into his confidence over Gibbs in the first place. The conversation probably wouldn't get past that point for a while and then he would have to tell Jen that Gibbs knew.

Abby then? Abby knew him _too_ well. One look and he would blush and she would know what he was thinking and she was just as likely to jump straight to the conclusion that he had a crush on the Director. Which he didn't.

And she would laugh and wiggle her eyebrows and tease him about it as if it were nothing to be worried about.

Which he wasn't, worried that is because he didn't have a crush on the Director.

I mean seriously, she was the _DIRECTOR._

Besides he would need to reveal aspects of him working outside of the NCIS jurisdiction and what if in his own interest she let something slip in her enthusiasm to Gibbs? Or if Gibbs just read her mind?

Tim didn't feel comfortable baring his soul to Ducky on this matter. Besides to explain it completely would probably take hours with Ducky's interruptions. And that was just it. He couldn't explain it all logically. And he wasn't very good at illogical.

Illogical. So that left Tony then.

The more he thought about it the more he thought that Tony would be the only one who could possibly understand the confusion, the being pulled in different directions. How secrets must be kept even when you sometimes didn't want too. He too had gotten to know the Director more through his undercover operation, although it hadn't turned out well for either of them.

Maybe it was just being exposed to someone in an unusual situation forged some sort of emotional bond? Like a therapist to their patient? Or a hostage to their captor?

Maybe because Jenny was the only one for months now that he could talk to about this part of his life, he just felt closer to her. They trusted each other and that meant that they….. They what?

He had noticed he had been withdrawing away from his other friends it seemed in equal measure to the time he dedicated to Jenny. Maybe when the case was over that would naturally correct itself and like a rubber band his life would snap back into place again?

His thoughts tumbled around and around until finally he sent a message to Tony. He was going to talk to him.

It was his only choice at this stage or he would:

A, Go mad –Dribbling genius finally looses it.

B, Stuff up on a case – Loose position with NCIS

C, Kiss the Director in public just to see what happened i.e. yell at him or return the kiss

D, Get 'Disappeared' by the CIA for out living usefulness

E, Be laughed at for becoming so dramatic and loosing grip on reality

F, Die of humiliation and/or embarrassment if any of the above actually happened

Tony came around the corner of the stairs to see McGee practically wringing his hands in anxiety. He smiled and tried to relax him with a 'What's up Probie? Girl trouble?'

Tony instantly realized this was probably the wrong tack to take with McGee as he suddenly snapped his head up and the determination that he had in his eyes seemed to drain away.

McGee panicked. Was he already that obvious? He thought he had been keeping things well hidden. What did Tony already know?

'uuuummmmmm' McGee's eyes were darting all over the place except looking at Tony and he seemed to be working out how to start.

'Hey there just relax. Whatever it is can't be all that serious?'

This again seemed to be precisely the wrong thing to say and Tony felt the answer to the day's tensions slipping away along with McGee's confidence. Tony cursed his flippancy, not for the first time but it always helped him when he was nervous. Then again this was Probie and it looked like he wanted to talk to him about something serious.

'Hey McGee, I'm just jerking your chain. If you want to talk I'm here to listen.' Tony was sincerely interested in whatever sad little secret McGee was struggling with. He stood there for an instant and held his hands out wide and palm up in an effort to show how non threatening he was as McGee looked ready to bolt.

It always interested Tony to watch McGee's face. You could actually see the decisions being made as they crossed his face and he could pinpoint the moment he decided to suck it up and tell him.

And exactly the moment his eyes shuttered, he closed his mouth and he mentally withdrew.

Tony heard the Director asking Gibbs if he knew where McGee was as she wanted to speak to him about an upcoming leave application and suddenly the chance was gone.

"The Director needs to speak with me. I better go. Thanks Tony….. I'll speak with you later'

'Ahh ok McGee. Whenever you need to do this again I'll be here' Tony joked as he to returned to his desk.

Tim turned the corner and sat down at his desk. He sighed and then looked up ready to catch Jenny's eye and follow her up to her office. For their talk.

'Timmy'

"McGee'

'Thom'

'Agent McGee'

Tony looked across to see four women standing in front of McGee's desk seemingly simultaneously calling his name. The woman all looked at each other and then to McGee to see who he would answer first.

An impatient Abby, a concerned Ziva, a smug looking tall stunning blonde and the determined Director all waited as McGee looked nervously at one then the other trying to gauge what each of them wanted from him. Then McGee flicked his eyes across to Tony and Tony almost pitied him. Maybe this was what he wanted to talk to him about? And who was the gorgeous blonde?

Poor guy they were going to rip him to shreds whatever decision he made. Tony sat back in his chair to watch. At least he could honor him by not looking away.

(Let me know what you think? Is it holding your interest? Who would you like to hear from next or just let it unfold? Anything you like really just nice to know someones reading it! Not that exciting just lots of McGee thinking at this stage so should put some action in there??)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

(Please note for those that have read this before I have added an additional final two paragraphs on Tim onto the end of Chapter Eleven, which why I have re loaded)

Chapter Eleven

There had been a time when Tim had wanted female attention. He had wanted to get the looks that Tony got when he walked into a room. He wanted just once to be the popular confident guy surrounded by adoring women. But faced with four different beautiful women all looking at him waiting for him to make the first move he decided it wasn't as great as he had once thought.

Two of the women he had slept with, three of the women he had kissed (the other he had in quiet moments thought about) between the four of them they all knew some of his darkest secrets, all four of them could kill him with varying degrees of mercy and at least two of them could ruin his career.

By rank it should be the Director first but….

He took a breath and in an instant made his decision

Ziva instantly disliked the blonde woman and she didn't like the way she was looking at McGee. She had admitted to herself recently that she was fond of gentle Tim and it irked her to see the proprietal gaze she swept over him.

Abby was frustrated as she had been trying to get hold of McGee for hours in order to ask him out so she could find out what had been going on. And what did the Director want with him? Was that why he was acting weird? Had she pulled him up on something and he had taken it too much to heart?

Director Shepard felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she recognized the blonde from the Hotel photos currently stuffed into her locked desk drawer. She wanted to push Tim and his big startled puppy dog eyes up against the wall in her private office and make him talk to her if necessary. She hadn't been able to speak to him yet in private and the fact that this woman was here at NCIS and she didn't know what was happening was making her feel vulnerable.  
And she didn't like feeling vulnerable. It made her feel exposed like someone was lining her up to take a shot at her. And that made her feel angry.

Ellie smirked and leaned in over his desk simply enjoying making Timothy squirm, running her eyes all over him.

"Ellie? What are you doing here?" Tim pinned her with his eyes. What was she doing here? Let her explain whatever she had concocted as she clearly wanted to make it obvious that they knew each other. They had only discussed _not_ being seen together but walking into his office in the middle of the day wearing what she was wearing she was going to get noticed.

Ellie smiled viciously "What? Can't I visit my lover in the middle of the day?"

Tim's heart actually skipped a beat and not in a good way, more the painful oh my god take a deep breath sort of way.

Tony's jaw dropped while Gibbs had surprise written all over his face. She was his lover?? Gibbs watched Jen's face as a mix of surprise, disappointment and hurt flashed across her face before she smothered it under professional disinterest.

Jen didn't know? This was it. His answer surely? How could he think she had feelings for McGee if she didn't even know he was seeing someone? There was a part of him that roared in triumph. She was his again. He baulked at his own response. His? She wasn't his and in many ways she hadn't been his in a long time. He shook his head at himself and was grateful he hadn't had the chance to confront her this morning about her having a sexual relationship with one of his team members. Oh Lord she would never have forgiven him.

He felt relief and he took a free breath for the first time since Fornell's visit. He could talk to her again, in confidence. They could have their little dinners and smile about their personal jokes and he didn't have to think about what she was hiding from him.

But why had she seemed hurt? Why had he seen disappointment on her face in that first revealing instant? Disappointment that he hadn't told her? Or disappointment that it wasn't her?

Gibbs screwed his eyes closed as he realized this wasn't about McGee at all.

It was him, all him. He had feelings for Jennifer Shepard. Feelings that went beyond what they currently had. He couldn't place when it had happened, she had been part of his life on and off for so long now. He didn't know why he hadn't realized it earlier. No wonder he was overreacting so much. McGee? He sighed and rubbed his face. This revelation wasn't any better than the last and would promise more sleepless nights ahead.

The image popped into Tim's head unbidden of Ellie naked wrapped around him and he blushed. He looked up at Abby and Ziva who were staring at him as if he had suddenly grown another head and turned slowly to the Director. To Jenny.

He got to his feet and came around from his desk.  
"Errrrrr Ellie I suppose I should introduce you to everyone." He indicated them each one in turn while Ellie disturbingly took the opportunity to snuggle up under his arm and cruelly pinch his butt. He bit back a yelp and then excused them from the stares of his team mates. He dragged Ellie away from the desks and hissed at her.

"What do you think your doing? I thought you didn't want anyone seeing us together and now you just turn up here at my work and announce that we're together!"

Ellie just smiled and aware that eyes were still on them lovingly stroked her hand down his chest while looking up at him with hard eyes. Her voice was equally quiet as she leaned up to him.

"You wanted to play with the big boys didn't you? Well here's your chance. You have proved you will do what it takes to get the job done. By posing as your girlfriend then it won't matter if we are seen together and we will need to be together more often to get the job done. It will also help explain any strange behavior, arriving late, strange bruises whatever. Now they are still watching so kiss me!"

Tim's mind was still in a turmoil wondering what strange bruises she anticipated he might get that could possibly be explained away by wild sex sessions with his hot new 'girlfriend' Suddenly he found himself pulled down into a deep passionate kiss that he couldn't help but respond too.

Ziva watched the pair over in the far corner, trying to analyze their body language. She leaned down to Abby. "Does it look like they are arguing to you?"

"I hope so. I haven't even spoken to her and I don't like her. I have been wondering what's been up with McGee lately and I think she is the answer. What is he thinking? She's not right for him _at all _. She looks like she is going to chew him up and spit him out. I mean she's practically sucking his face off right now."

Jen stood next to the pair, a united front against this interloper snatching away 'their' Timothy McGee and watched them kiss. What the hell was going on, that this woman was now McGee's girlfriend? He had never mentioned to her in all this time that he was seeing someone. Where would he have found the time anyway between work and the extra time he had spent with her? He had seemed surprised that she had turned up. Had he been keeping secrets from her after all? Was it because he knew that his lover had Mob connections and didn't want to embroil her in anything?

She considered the single soft kiss she had given him and instantly regretted and compared it to the passionate one being shared over in the corner. He had been so surprised by it. So had she. She had pulled away in an instant not giving him the chance to respond. If he responded.

All the years, the experience, the training she had had and in an instant a pair of sad eyes in an innocent face, brow furrowed in frustration had thrown it all out the window. He showed so much hurt across his face she had just wanted in that instant to clear it all away and sooth his anxieties. She had instead leaned in and gently kissed him.

He just thought about everything so much. Too much. Sometimes there were too many possibilities that he couldn't control. It was then that he looked so young looking out at the world. Other times she caught him watching her with his expressive eyes and it seemed like he understood everything in existence. It was at these times that she wanted to curl up in his lap in front of the fire and have him tell her one of his stories. She imagined him rubbing gentle little circles into her lower back with his thumb and telling her a story of a beautiful red haired Princess, a fire breathing blue eyed dragon and a hairy ugly troll which lived under the bridge called Anthony. And they would laugh together quietly while he held her and talked about happily ever after's.

It had been so long since someone bothered to hold her. To ask her if she was alright.

She watched Tim with sad eyes and clamped a metal lid securely over the images in her head and proceeded to file it away under 'Never To Be Revealed' along with so many other painful and dangerous memories. An explosion, a shot fired, blood on her hands, a phone call never made, a forged signature and Timothy McGee's eyes.

Tim found himself in a situation unfamiliar to him. He was kissing one woman while thinking about another. All he wanted was to be able to explain to Jenny who this woman was. He had seen the flash of hurt in her eyes and knew that he was the cause of it. He promised himself that as soon as he was able he was going to sit her down and explain. He was in this mess because she had encouraged him not because he had betrayed her.

He knew the trust they had built teetered, ready to collapse everything underneath it like a house of cards. And without her faith in him, her understanding it might just take him with it. Because he was going to play with the Big Boys. And this time there would be no Gibbs, no Tony, no Ziva to watch his back. He would be alone.


	12. Chapter 12

Tim pulled back from the kiss gasping and not a little flustered. Ellie seemed determined to continually deepen the kiss and hold him to it until they were practically 'making out' Her point proven she had released the lapels of his jacket and stood watching him with swollen lips and flashing eyes. He wasn't accustomed to kissing so…. well angrily seemed the only way to put it and especially not here in the bull pen. He flushed again and grabbing her arm tried to propel her towards the elevator and away from him and what was left of his normal life.

'Oh Timmy, trying to get rid of me so soon? You weren't like this the other night' Ellie purred and Tim had an overwhelming desire to give her a swift kick up the ass. This shocked him as he had never considered violence against a woman before. That is until he realized that Ellie was no lady and would probably have him on the floor her expensively clad foot grinding down, crushing his throat if he even thought about it.

Ellie suddenly twisted out of his grasp and headed towards the other members of his team still staring rather shocked at their excessive display.

'Don't I get to say a proper hello then?' Ellie walked over and stood in front of the three women and smiled. She glanced at Abby, who tried to put her concerns behind her for McGee's sake and winningly smiled at Ellie.

'Hi I'm Abby. McGee might have mentioned me? We work together in forensics quite a bit' Abby held out her hand to shake which Ellie ignored while she ran her hands down Abby's outfit.

'Um no he hasn't mentioned you.' Ellie faked trying to recall Abby's name, using the opportunity to bring attention to her glossy full lips by bringing her finger up and tapping her chin. She knew the dark haired handsome man in the corner was watching her intently and she smiled before turning back to Abby.

'Nice leather. It's very cute.' Ellie was cruelly indifferent even though she knew what this woman in particular had meant to Tim. She wasn't interested in woman. It was with men that her power lay and she turned to address Gibbs who was watching the exchange with amused interest.

'Cute?' Abby strangled out the word as Ziva held her forearm in a strong grip.

'_Cute!!' _Abby whispered it fiercly under her breath as she watched Ellie sway over and stand in front of Gibbs desk. She clenched her hands into fists and considered just what she would really like to do with her metal studded bracelets and knee high leather boots.

Ellie leaned over slightly and turned the full brunt of her super charged sexuality on the handsome silver haired man she knew was in charge. She took a deep breath, her full breasts straining against the low cut fabric while she held his gaze and licked her lips.

'I'm Ellie. I'm sorry what was your name again?'

Gibbs found himself answering with a smile at the sheer charisma pouring over his desk 'Special Agent Jethro Gibbs'

Ellie smiled 'Well _Jethro_, I hope you don't mind me popping in like this. We have been seeing each other for a while and Timmy does like to keep his secrets so I thought I would meet you for myself. Surprise.'

Gibbs couldn't wipe the smile off his face that this absolute firecracker was Timothy McGee's girl. Timmy?

'It's no trouble at all _Ellie'_ Gibbs effortlessly returned the stress on her name that she had used on his and she smiled sensing that this man knew at least some of the games she liked to play.

Ellie turned away and then stopped posing in the middle of the bull pen, the sun washing over her perfect toned figure in bright light from the windows. She glanced at Gibbs over her shoulder, her blonde hair catching the light as it fell in glorious waves over her back. She waited an instant until she knew every man in the room was looking at her and then ran her hand down her side and rested it on the curve of her hip while her eyes smoldered playfully at him 'Why Jethro, I was _built_ for trouble'

Gibbs couldn't help it. He laughed while Ellie smirked and Tim blushed and stepped in dragging her again towards the elevator.

Tony watched as McGee hustled her almost angrily into the elevator which she only allowed after yet another kiss and a promise to call her as soon as he was off work.

Tony whistled as McGee stomped back to his desk. 'Well we can see who wears the pants in that relationship!'

"Shut UP Tony' Tim was horrified. Why did she have to make such as scene? Everyone in the building would know about it by the end of the day.

Tim closed his eyes for a moment trying for some composure. All he could hear was Abby whispering angrily and far too loudly to Ziva.

'She called him Jethro. _Jethro! _No one calls him that. I don't call him that and I'm his favorite! What she's not happy just with McGee she wants Gibbs and Tony too??'

Ziva could see McGee was mortified and she forcefully dragged Abby away while Abby described all the nasty things in detail that she would like to do to 'that' woman.

The next thing he could hear was Tony singing a familiar song quietly under his breath while he worked smiling head down at his desk.

_Timmy is a friend_

_Yeh I know he's a good friend of mine_

_But lately something's changed_

_And it aren't hard to define_

_Timmy's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine_

_And she's watching him with those eyes_

_And she's loving him with that body, I just know it_

_And he holding her in his arms late, late at night_

_You know I wish that I had Timmy's girl_

_I wish that I had Timmy's girl_

_Where can I find a woman like that?_

Something inside Tim snapped. All this time, all these secrets, all the anguish. And still Tony laughed at him. He felt helpless and trapped all at the same time. What had he been thinking? Confide all his secrets and complicated problems in Tony? He felt a rage building up from his stomach and all rational thought was flung out the window. He wanted to tell Tony he could have her. That touching her made his skin crawl. That he needed to have a shower after every time she touched him, she repulsed him so. That they would be suited to each other as they were both thoughtless and cruel.

What he did instead was stride over to Tony's desk, grab his shirt front in his fist and haul him up from behind his desk. Tony hadn't seen him coming and certainly wasn't expecting it and his eyes popped open wide with surprise at the look on McGee's face.

He was furious at the situation he was in and he was about to……..

'Tim' Jen's firm but gentle voice suddenly cut through the haze and Tim realized what he was doing. The bull pen was eerily quiet as everyone turned to watch the drama unfolding between the two friends. Tim suddenly released Tony's shirt and he sank back into his chair still staring open mouthed up at McGee in surprise.

'I think we should talk. Now.' Jen looked at him and Tim nodded, eyes downcast and quietly followed Jen up the stairs into her office. Abby and Ziva still locked arm in arm restraining each other watched in amazement at the sudden transformation of their friend.

Gibbs walked over to Tony and head slapped him.

'Hey what was that for? McGee was the one going to commit violence on me. You should be head slapping him.' Tony was rubbing his head from the very firm tap he had received.

Gibbs turned a stern gaze on Tony 'Never sing about McGee's girlfriend again. In fact do us all a favor and never sing at all. Period.'

Tony had the brief grace to look slightly embarrassed, before he buried his head back into his work.

With that Gibbs returned to his desk and looked up at Jenny's office and wondered not for the first time that he could hear what was being said in there.

Ellie stepped out of the elevator, her work done. She really quite liked Timothy McGee. He was different to the men she usually had to 'get to know'. He was honest, polite and intelligent and clean. Ellie liked clean. It really would be a shame that he would be dead tomorrow night, shot as a home grown terrorist.

Still their government funding would be approved and the country would sleep sounder knowing that the CIA and other Government Agencies were doing their jobs. Other real terrorists would be forced to review their plans as attention and interest surged around the country. As an added bonus for them Homeland Security would be shamed for missing this obvious threat.

The only ones that would mourn would be the small group of close family and friends of Timothy, and their grief would be tainting with the idea that they didn't really know him at all.

What Timothy didn't realize was that _he_ was the operation. He was 'Big Boy' and for the last three months as he had been following their requests they had been building a dossier on him and his extra activities. They were nearly ready now. They had camera footage, traces on his computer activities, photos, fingerprints, voice recordings, cell phone records and by tomorrow night there would be a bank account with a million dollars in it in his name.

The amendment to his will would be found at his apartment handing the money over to his sister for her education and his parents. The money of course would be frozen by the government and would never reach its destination.

Their case against him would be solid and few would argue that his violent death was excessive. His innocent face would be smeared internationally as the quiet genius Federal Agent who after years of frustration decided to take matters into his own hands against the very Government he was working for.

Neighbors would say 'he seemed so nice, so friendly I never would have known' and people would nod and say 'isn't that always the way?' and 'it's always the quiet ones'.

NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee would be the topic of conversation for some weeks, the drive behind an upgrading of recruitment procedures for some months and finally a small footnote in a long list of those that had betrayed their country in a dusty text book somewhere.

It was his very unassuming appearance combined with his intelligence and extensive personality profile which made him perfect for this role. Few would argue he had the ability or knowledge to foil any security precautions in his way. It could even be argued that it was his passionate loyalty to his country that drove him 'to make it a better place'

His family and friends would grieve quietly in shame while the agency he worked for would bury his memory away as an embarrassment. Even if his family insisted on his innocence there would be so much evidence against him, from his very hand that they would be unable to pursue it.

The recent appearance of his 'girlfriend' who would be revealed later at the enquiry as having Mob connections would only muddy the waters of who they really thought Timothy was.

Ellie considered the funeral. She was always really good at funerals. This was going to be a big one, lots of press coverage. Hopefully this time she would get into the paper? She considered what she would wear. Perhaps the low cut black chiffon that hugged her body in all the wrong places for a weeping lover. Yes, it has the scarlet silk lining that would flash and peep through the black when she moved. She had been saving it for 'Uncle Vito's' funeral but he seemed to persist in staying alive and Tim's funeral should have some international press.

Ellie made a mental note to take it to the dry cleaners so that it would be pressed and ready. She hated to be caught unprepared.


	13. Chapter 13

Walking through the bullpen and then up the long exposed stairs following the Director, with the eyes of the entire floor following him, Tim felt empty

Walking through the bullpen and then up the long exposed stairs following the Director, with the eyes of the entire floor following him, Tim felt empty. He wouldn't have thought it possible to feel so completely void of emotion so soon after feeling overwhelmed with anger and frustration. But there it was. He felt empty and pale and slightly shaky. It was like he had blown a fuse or needed a hard reset in order to get standard operating package Timothy McGee 101 working again.

He trailed after the Director, and she definitely was the Director and not the Jenny he had come to know _(and love?) _with her straight back and crisp steps. Tim's mind skittered away from this thought and he turned at the top of the stairs and for a brief instant before turning towards the Director's office he looked out across the bull pen.

And he saw Gibbs. But he wasn't looking at him. He wasn't wondering what could have come over one of his field agents to practically assault another team member. He wasn't examining why he had never bothered to mention he had a girlfriend apparently for some months now. He wasn't considering if any of his team were working behind his back for another Agency. No.

He was looking straight past him at the Director. At Jenny. Tim couldn't place his momentarily unguarded yet intense expression; it was so full of mixed emotions. Tim ever the unnoticed observer filed it away for later consideration as he had more than enough on his plate at the moment to consider. And with that he stepped into the relative privacy of the Directors office.

He wondered for an instant if the day would have turned out different if he had instead chosen to confide in Ziva, instead of Tony. Ziva, strong, beautiful, confident and experienced in so many ways he wasn't. Just like Jenny.

'Sit down McGee' The Director wanted formality for this conversation so she went and sat behind her desk and indicated for McGee to take one of the seats in front of it. She could have chosen to sit at her couch but she wanted the distance of the desk between them so she could watch him explain himself and the little scene downstairs. To watch his expressive eyes.

'So are you going to tell me what that was all about with Tony?' Jenny decided to stick with the appropriate issue of McGee man handling Tony rather than what she really wanted to know. And that was who the hell did he think he was not bothering to tell her he was seeing someone all this time?

Tim took a deep breath. Finally he had the chance to talk to her and it all vanished. All the words, all the thoughts, all the theories were gone. His mind was still struggling to process why Ellie wanted people to consider them together and what bearing it had on his ability to be involved in the operation. He had been accepted, and Ellie had told him that whatever it was would happen tomorrow night. None of this was working out the way he had thought it would and frankly he was confused.

He had become accustomed to talking to Jenny easily in private, borne from familiarity. So much for words being his craft! He couldn't even seem to put a simple phrase together. There was so much he wanted to ask her. Where did he start?

Why did you kiss me? Okay that was a big one.

It seemed simple enough. Five little words that independently he had used a thousand times before.

He felt that if he could just start with the perfect line all the tension he had been feeling in his gut would unravel and Jenny would laugh and tell him the best way to handle Ellie and help him prepare for tomorrow night and everything would be alright. But if he got that first all important sentence wrong everything would grow increasingly unbalanced and ….

"Agent McGee! Answer me." Jenny was starting to lose patience. Why was he stonewalling her? She wanted to jar him from the slightly vacant expression he seemed to be wearing. She reached into her desk drawer and with a quick prayer that Fornell would forgive her slapped the photos of McGee and Ellie ravaging each other in the hotel corridor down onto her desk in front of him.

"Is this is what you are worrying about telling me? As you can see I was not unaware that you were in a relationship with this woman. Even though you chose not to tell me yourself.'

Tim's shocked eyes were drawn to the provocative images. Images that he thought would remain private. Images that he was still struggling with whenever he allowed himself a quiet contemplatative moment. For the second time that day he felt angry and it seemed to wash over him even faster this time as he stared hard eyed at the woman he trusted. He _had _trusted. A woman that apparently didn't trust him.

He heard his voice louder and more forceful than he anticipated. "You were having me followed? You didn't trust me? Is that it? I don't understand. I have told you everything and it's still not enough? What aren't I a good enough agent? I have done _everything_ you have asked of me. What more of me do you want?"

Jenny felt her own anger stirring. How dare he challenge her? He was the one keeping secrets. She had to find out through Fornell. She had enough on her plate trying to figure out why this group wanted to bypass her completely and was going around approaching her agents on the sly.

"For your information Agent McGee I was not having you followed! These pictures of you and your girlfriend were brought to me by the FBI. They were concerned that a member of my agency was cavorting with a known associate of the Mafia."

"Why is the FBI having a member of the CIA followed?"

"The FBI wasn't following you McGee, they were following her!"

"I know that! That's what I'm asking! Why are they following a member of the CIA!"

"Wait. What? She's CIA?"

Tim felt like pulling his hair out in frustration. "Of course she's CIA! I told you about her. She's my handler, not my girlfriend. Wait, that's what this is about? You thought she really was my girlfriend?" Tim stared at Jenny with a rather appalled expression on his face. He would have thought that she of all people would have understood. Ellie??

Jenny sat and stared back at Tim, several brightly colored pieces rattling into place like a game of Connect Four. McGee had in fact told her about his handler, several times. But while he had mentioned that she was very beautiful and blonde, most of his description of her had revolved around how much he disliked her and how dangerous he considered her to be and what she said or did during their meetings together.

Jenny sighed. Oh Timothy. Now Tony would have described her down to the honey highlights in her hair and the smirk on her face. But still why had she jumped to that conclusion? She was a better agent than that.

"If she's CIA what is she doing with members of the Mob? And why doesn't the FBI know who she is?"

Tim sighed again releasing some of the pent up frustration and confusion. Okay at least they were reading the same book even if they weren't on the same page yet.

"I don't fully know. Who the hell knows what the CIA is up to? They certainly tell me next to nothing and I'm supposed to be working with them. I mean they are Central Intelligence, so she has been gathering up bits of information from them for months and feeding it back somewhere, I suppose. It must be pretty deep cover if the FBI doesn't even know about it?"

A thought popped into Tim head. A slightly disturbing one that again he filed away to consider later. Maybe she knew she was being watched and that's why she insisted on them sleeping together? Could that be why she insisted on that display in the public corridor? To make sure that they were photographed together? Why?

And today she made sure that people saw them together. Saw them kiss and she announced them as a couple. Why?

Jenny sat back in her chair for a moment. "I need a drink. Want one?"

Tim looked up surprised. "I don't know if I should."

Jenny looked him up and down and took in how stressed and anxious he appeared to be. When had he got such dark circles under his eyes? She had never seen him look rumpled before and it seemed so completely out of character for him.

"Yes you need one"

She turned and poured out two double bourbons before placing one firmly into his hand.

Tim took a sip before looking up at her. "I want to talk to you. There's been ahhhh movement but I don't know if I should be speaking to you here…. About IT.

Jenny smiled "Tim, I'm the Director of NCIS and I'm meant to be chewing your ass out for threatening another agent and various other inappropriate behaviors. Trust me we have time. In fact if I let you out of here too early that would be more likely to raise eyebrows than you staying here and talking with me. So spit it out."

Tim looked around her office for an instant and Jenny realized what he had meant.

"Don't worry Tim, I check my office daily for any listening devices. Standard practice. Well for me anyway."

She went and sat down at her desk still littered with the hated photos. She took a strong sip of her drink and then collected the photos up placing them back into the manila envelope they had arrived in. Jenny shut the envelope firmly away in the depths of her drawer. She considered carefully what she was going to say next. She almost dismissed it but she needed to ask. She needed to know. For professional reasons only she firmly told herself.

"So you slept with your handler? Was that a move you considered imperative?"

Tim looked up at Jenny, his eyes a little shuttered compared with the truthful gaze he normally had "Remember when I came to see you and I told you there was something they wanted me to do? To gain their final trust? And you said it was my call but that it would be a shame to have come so far only to fall at this final hurdle?"

"Yes" Jenny nodded and waited for him to continue but he just looked at her, fidgeting in his chair.

"Wait. That's what they wanted you to do? Sleep with her? Why would they want you do to that?"

Tim just shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair, resulting in him looking even more vulnerable.

"I don't know. I don't really understand any of this Jenny." Tim looked up at her, his wide eyes big and imploring " I wanted to go undercover but I thought it would all be somehow so much clearer to me. I don't even know what I'm meant to be doing most of time except _not _talk to people about it. I thought there would be a purpose to it all. Instead I'm getting so worked up I'm getting ready to punch Tony out just for singing some stupid song."

Jenny smiled and remembered how eager Tim had looked at the prospect of going undercover when he had first come to her house. She understood how difficult living with secrets could be. It tended to put a wall between yourself and others no matter how much you cared about them.

"It's all right Tim. We have all wanted to punch Tony out at some stage. In fact I'm surprised it has taken you so long." Jenny smirked over the lip of her glass.

Tim laughed a little at this and felt some of the tension in his gut ease. He took another sip of the drink in his hand and with a loud exhaled breath settled back into the chair.

Tim looked across at Jenny again. "Ok well whatever it is they have been testing me out for its all going down tomorrow night. It all seems really strange. Ellie told me that when she was here before. I didn't know she was coming here and I didn't know she wants us to be considered a couple. I suppose I will find out more tonight after work. Ellie wants to meet with me- again."

Jenny laughed at the way Tim screwed his nose up in distaste at the thought. It warmed her to think that no matter how beautiful Ellie was, McGee could see through to the ugliness beneath her façade. He was a good man. With beautiful hands.

Tim continued to talk, the words suddenly released like water from a dam. His expressive eyes lit up again released from the weight of being alone. Of being doubted. With Jennifer Sheppard, the Director of NCIS on his side what could go wrong? Wild ideas and scenarios poured forth carrying away his pent up frustrations while Jenny smiled and wondered just what the CIA were really up to.

Tony felt the tension in the bull pen. It had been bad before but now it had definitely gone up a notch. He kept looking up at the Directors office. McGee had been in there over an hour now. An hour?! What on earth could they be talking about that would take that long?

He felt guilt squirming through his stomach. He had known Probie was uptight and a bit tetchy about something. He had even come to him to try and tell him about it. And then that stupid song. What had he been thinking? That was just it. He hadn't been thinking. Again. What if McGee got a formal warning on his record because of him? What if he got fired or moved to another team? What if McGee, all worked up about the injustice of his treatment simply resigned?

Tony's mind leapt from one possibility to another as he pretended to work. Every now and then he would look up only to meet Gibbs' hard glare or Ziva's concerned gaze and knew that they too were worried.

Finally Tony saw a familiar form descending the stairs. What should he do? Leap up and hug him and grovel out an apology? Ignore him? Wait until he knew whether he had been fired or not and……...

The decision was taken out of his hands when McGee stood beside his desk and waited for him to look up.

"Tony. I shouldn't have pulled you up from your chair like that. I know Gibbs considers apologizing as a sign of weakness but…"

Tony beamed relieved and interrupted. "It was my fault Probie! I shouldn't have been teasing you about your girlfriend. Really I was just surprised, thats all. I mean she is pretty hot!"

Tony caught himself just in time before he leapt head long back into the situation he had just extricated himself out of "But that is _not _the issue here. So you're not fired or anything?"

McGee rolled his eyes. "You're so dramatic Tony. No I got my butt chewed out big time but the Director said she was surprised I hadn't tried to hit you earlier to be honest"

Tony laughed and enthusiastically clapped McGee on the back, glad to see his sense of humor restored and that old McGee sparkle or well gleam back in his green eyes.

Ziva watched the two friends with a smile on her face. Silly boys. She couldn't resist any longer and she got up, went over to McGee's desk and leaned over his shoulder.

McGee jumped as he felt Ziva whisper close to his ear. "Are you all right? You were up there for a while with the Director"

Tim smiled at her concern. How could people think she was cold hearted? "Yeah I'm fine just had some things to work out that's all"

Ziva watched him. Was that bourbon she smelt on his breath? The Director had given him liquor while she was 'chewing out his butt'?

"What?"

"Nothing. Glad everything is ok" Ziva went and sat down at her desk, pretending to continue on with her work. Something was up. As Gibbs would say it was a feeling in her gut. She wasn't sure what it was about but it was definitely something more than McGee having a girlfriend that no one knew about. Even Gibbs was acting weird. Ziva added the Director to her mental list. And she was going to find out. Tonight. She was going to _make _McGee talk to her if she had to.

Fornell sighed in pleasure as the perfect excuse to leave his paper filled tomb slid across his desk. He slipped on his glasses, leaned back in his chair and pulled out the latest round of surveillance photos he was now required to make note of.

His smile grew wider. Just what in the hell was going on over there at NCIS? And what was Timothy McGee up to now?


	14. Chapter 14

Ellie worked the cool cuticle cream methodically into her nail beds while she waited. It was important to have strong nails. Especially in her line of work. You never knew when you might need them.

She considered the impending death of the man she had been working with over these last three months. It really was his face that proved to be Tim's downfall. If he didn't look so damn innocent and appealing the irony of it all wouldn't have worked and the agency might have picked someone else to be their fall guy.

These days it was all about the media. Once it had been television and now it was all about the internet. Ellie didn't think Tim would be pleased to know that several round table discussions had gone on about what was the best way to kill NCIS Agent Timothy Agent/Betrayer of his Country. It seemed to her that more meetings had gone on about how to kill him than had gone on to select him.

It had been thought initially that information could be leaked to the media during a stand off and then there could be country wide live coverage on the news of him getting shot/gassed/blown up. Some nice grainy chopper footage of the SWAT team climbing all over the warehouse roof always proved effective for ratings. If they timed it right they could get in and have it concluded right before American Idol started.

After some consideration it was his face which saved him from being submitted to an explosive device and being splattered all over the concrete. It seemed far more universally appealing to have footage of an actual intact body, perhaps draped in a bloody sheet initially then zipped up into a black body bag and carried slowly across the crime scene. Perhaps the ME's could be persuaded to jostle the body while preparing it for transport. A young, white, educated, bloodied hand falling out onto the concrete would give the papers an excellent print shot to go with their front page. Ellie made a mental note to convince Tim to wear his most expensive watch for the operation tomorrow. It was always these details which would later fascinate the academia. Papers would be written on what sort of statement on the condition of the country he was trying to make by wearing Armani shirts or Calvin Klein underwear.

Having an intact body also made identification of the body by family much faster. That too would give some excellent footage, weeping family members declaring his innocence, his parents possibly being restrained at the scene, informed sorrowfully of his death. Ellie considered how close Tim seemed to be with his family. They might even luck out with some wailing and screaming.

There had been some consideration regarding forcing him to take a cyanide tablet. It seemed a very fitting although horribly painful way to die, as he was supposedly a terrorist. He had the knowledge to create such a tablet himself even if he couldn't source one through his agency connections. So its source wouldn't raise too many eyebrows and it would be nice and dramatic. Attention grabbing. That was what the U-Tube generation was after. Maybe some footage of his final convulsing, foaming seconds could escape onto the internet as a precautionary tale for others?

But then there would be the bruising around his head and jaw from forcing him to swallow it. A strong young man like Timothy, understanding that his death was imminent would need to be forcibly held down by several people. Ellie had seen it before. The screaming and the thrashing. It was amazing how strong and determined people became when they knew they could either fight or die.

If the Director did manage to pull a few strings and the autopsy got done by Dr Mallard he would be sure to question the excessive body bruising even given the resulting convulsions from the cyanide. So that method although poetic, was dropped.

Ellie and her detailed profile of NCIS Special Agent McGee had finally resulted in the decision to shoot him dead first and then release to media second. Personally she thought he was too clever, resourceful and just morally upstanding to risk giving him the chance to contact the rest of his team or stash details of his real activities before the final moment, even if it did make for good footage. She wouldn't put it past him to scrawl his innocence in his own blood live on national television if he knew it was all he had. And then all the created good will would instead turn into a backlash and months of hard work would be wasted. And a perfectly good Agent would be dead for no reason whatsoever.

The media they would leave free to come up with their own tag name. They were always more creative then the Agency had ever proved to be anyway. Perhaps the Agency Assassin or Boyish Bomber or some such rubbish to help white middle class America categorize the violence, enabling them to later file the images away along with other cartoon characters.

Ellie idly buffed her nails to a high shine and wondered if she could get Tim to have sex with her tonight. Sort of a going away gift or last Harrah so to speak. She knew that he hated her, particularly after her appearance at his office today but she had discovered that hate didn't necessarily preclude sex in men. Even nice ones like Timothy McGee.

And besides when she wanted to be she could be so sweet she could make your teeth ache. Ellie smiled pleased with her manicure and waited.

(Ok guys please review and let me know what you think. This is a short chapter just to highlight how cold and dangerous Ellie is. What do you think is going to happen? Any bits you particularly like? Or could work on?)


	15. Chapter 15

Ziva knocked firmly on McGee's door and smiled as she could practically hear the sigh on the other side

Ziva knocked firmly on McGee's door and smiled as she could practically hear the sigh on the other side. The door swung open and McGee, stood on the other side staring.

"Ziva! I…… I wasn't expecting you"

"Can I come in?"

"Uhh sure." McGee held the door open further and Ziva stepped in. The two of them stood in the middle of McGee's tiny apartment and looked at each other.

Ziva decided to take the initiative as McGee seemed too surprised to continue.

"Can I sit down?"

McGee blushed at his rudeness "Oh sure I'm sorry I just really wasn't expecting you to be behind the door when I opened it up….. Not that I'm not happy to see you of course its just that… uhhh well never mind."

Tim considered his thought of earlier that afternoon when he wondered how things would have worked if it had been Ziva he had chosen to speak to instead of Tony and now here she was. In his apartment.

He had been expecting it to be Ellie, not that he was looking forward to seeing her again. There was something about her coming to his apartment which made him particularly nervous. He liked to keep what he had been doing with her compartmentalized away from his normal life if at all possible. Seeing her here surrounded by all his most personal belongings, made what he was doing somehow more _real_.

That and he didn't want to end up sleeping with her again.

Ziva looked around and realized there wasn't a couch or even so much as a dining table to sit at. Between the racks of shelves holding records, books and computer equipment, the computer desk and McGee's writing desk there wasn't a lot of room for much else.

She peaked through the open door and saw McGee's immaculate and very comfortable looking bed. She stepped through the door and sat down on the edge of it, looking up at McGee in the doorway who seemed to have lost his power of speech, again.

"Ummm I don't really have people over much…. And I could pull my writing chair over to the computer desk and… I mean you don't have to sit on the bed."

Ziva smiled "Relax McGee I am not here to seduce you. I just want to talk to you. And the end of the bed is more comfortable and practical. That is all. So sit." She tapped the empty space beside her while Tim's mind whirled on the image of Ziva inviting him beside her _on his_ bed. He coughed and blushed at his own awkwardness and proceeded to sit beside Ziva, ramrod straight as if he was afraid of his own actions.

"Oh would you like a drink of something?" Tim shot to his feet cursing his manners while Ziva just smiled at him and shook her head

"No Tim. Thank you. I just want to talk to you. Now sit down" Ziva tugged on his arm and he sank down beside her again, closer this time.

"Uhh ok. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Tim turned and looked at the beautiful, confident woman beside him.

"I want to know what is going on with you. Something is not right. You are hiding things from us….." Ziva raised up her hand as Tim started to protest "Timothy, please do not dishonor our friendship by lying to me"

Tim's words died on his lips as she looked him directly in the eye, her hand on his forearm. What could he say? Should he tell her? She seemed to have guessed part of it already. Surely he could trust her to understand and really he didn't even know what he was going to be doing until…… well until Ellie got here.

Ziva watched McGee's face. There was definitely something and the fact that he seemed to be considering not only _what_ to tell her but _if _he should tell her made her realize that is was definitely something more than a strange girlfriend or a new book. It was something big. Dangerous. A MOAS as Abby would put it.

She leaned into him, trying to show him with her eyes that it would be ok. He could trust her.

"Whatever it is Timothy" she breathed softly "I will still be your friend. And perhaps if I know what it is I can help you with it?" Ziva knew how secrets could eat away at you until a small problem seemed to become insurmountable.

Tim didn't want Ziva of all people to think he didn't trust her when she had worked so hard to open herself up and allow himself into her life. She was a good friend.

Tim who had been looking down into his lap at their hands now entwined, her hands tiny in his long fingered grasp suddenly looked up at her, his face only inches away…. And Ziva fell in.

His big green eyes always so expressive seemed to take up her entire vision as he poured his trust in her out with his eyes. He had tiny flecks of gold amongst the green and there was hazel brown too. Long lashes so fair at the tips you wouldn't be able to see them unless you were this close She could smell his warm McGee smell of aftershave and cotton and soap and she leaned in towards him……

Tim jerked away breathing unsteady at the sudden loud knock at the door. He stared at Ziva and Ziva even in her own shock recognized the flash of fear that crossed his face. He was afraid of her?

Tim sat there for an instant, almost panting as he heart raced. Ellie was here! And Ziva was here! He had nearly kissed Ziva! Or she had nearly kissed him? Oh that was the last thing he needed right now!

He looked down at their hands still entwined and reluctantly pulled his out from Ziva's warm grasp. The knocking started up again, louder "Um I should get that…. It will be Ellie. She said she would be coming over and I was expecting her when I opened the door to you earlier."

Ziva sensed the reluctance in McGee as he pulled away from her stood and walked to the doorway. There was no shame, which she would have expected in a man like McGee with his girlfriend at the door and a woman he nearly kissed on his bed. There was hesitation and …. McGee looked at her once more before leaving to answer the door and she caught it again…a quick flash of uncertainty and fear. Why would he be afraid of Ellie?

Ziva stood up and went to stand in the doorway of the bedroom, staking _her_ claim and wanting to see what Ellie said when she saw her. In his bedroom. Something was up and it had to do with Ellie and she was sure that the Director at least knew about it.

The thought suddenly occurred to Ziva like a blinding flash. An operation? She had once nearly laughed at McGee when he had asked why it hadn't been him that had been considered for an undercover operation. He had always wanted to be involved in an undercover operation. It would explain why they hadn't heard of his 'girlfriend' before. And why the Director was taking such an interest. And why McGee was so jumpy and had become even more private than usual.

She cursed herself. He had been about to tell her an instant ago, when they had looked at each other and she had assured him he could trust her. That was until she fell into his eyes and she had wanted to taste him instead. Where had that come from?

She looked up to see Ellie standing in the doorway of the apartment staring at her with cold hard eyes. Oh yes she was dangerous, alright.

"I didn't realize you had company Timmy" Ellie's voice was like nails down a chalkboard it was so chill.

"Um I didn't realize Ziva was going to come over. She just popped in to… umm"

"Actually I had something important to discuss with McGee in private regarding an upcoming operation at work and I'm afraid I haven't finished yet. Perhaps you could wait a few moments?" Ziva called her bluff just to see if she blinked.

Ellie just smiled and held her gaze. "I'll wait"

Not a flicker. She was good.

Tim stood in the middle of the two women feeling like it was high noon at the Ok Corral. He hoped he had told Sarah he loved her the last time he saw her just in case he didn't survive the night. He didn't think he did.

"We will be quite a while, I assure you. But it is important." Ziva held her ground, her hand on her hip.

Ellie considered. She was meant to be the _nice_ girlfriend of the _nice_ guy. She could tell Ziva was suspicious and was testing her even if Timothy didn't seem to know what was going on.

Ellie smiled at Timothy and leaned into him, running her hands down his chest.

"Alright then, Sweetie since it seems you are caught up with work I will simply see you tomorrow."

"Ahhh is that going to be ok? I know we were meant to talk about some … stuff. But this has come up unannounced… and Ziva has just got here so… umm" Tim's word failed him as he tried to catch Ellie's eye and check if it was really ok.

"It's fine. All you really need to do tomorrow is turn up and I will take care of the rest"

She stuffed a small piece of paper with an address on it and a time into his hand, trying to make sure Ziva didn't see what she was doing by shielding her actions with Tim's body. She held his gaze and he nodded and slipped it into his pocket, before she leaned up and gave him a soft full kiss on the mouth.

She left as suddenly as it seemed she arrived and Tim closed the front door with a sigh. He took a deep breath and turned to Ziva still standing in his bedroom doorway, relief written large across his features.

Ziva looked at Tim and beckoned him with her finger to come closer.

"I think we _really_ need that little talk now, Timothy."


	16. Chapter 16

Jenny sighed and poured herself another glass of wine, feeling the growing warm softness creep around her

Jenny sighed and poured herself another glass of wine, feeling the growing warm softness creep around her. And it was wine. The Jack Daniels remained in her drinks cabinet. There was a chance Tim would be calling by later depending on how his meeting with Ellie went and there was something about Jack Daniels that she associated with Gibbs.

And tonight for the first time in a long time she didn't want to think about Gibbs.

No it was another man who had taken hold of her quiet fantasy time. The precious few minutes she had to herself, alone in a week. Where she could allow herself to privately consider just where she could be at that moment if she took the path less traveled.

Jen curled herself up in her favorite corner of her soft over large couch and swirled the burgundy liquid around in her glass and watched it evaporate off the sides of the fine glass. The light was dimmed and soft on her eyes, aching after hours of straining through her glasses at diplomatic fine print and red tape. She knew it also wouldn't show up the fine lines she now wore almost permanently around her eyes. Not that she was old. It was just that sometimes she felt old. And tired. Her mind drifted as she took another sip and swirled the wine around her mouth allowing herself the time to recognize the subtleties in the depth of its flavors.

Gibbs was strong and could only be taken in small amounts, before he went to your head just like the Jack Daniels. Ahh but the wine was smooth and it snuck up on you on padded feet curling its fingers seductively around your bare waist before you even realized it. With wine you could drink simply a single glass with a fine meal or lose yourself in several bottles of it depending on how you felt. Wine you could drink in polite company. There was a quiet elegance that attracted her. Wine didn't demand that you drink it now, in fact often it was even better when it had been left to wait.

And this wine was growing on her. It was soft, gentle but the more she drank the more she recognized the growing complexity of the flavors. Of sweet honey, and tart blackberry and strong oak.

Timothy McGee.

Jenny allowed her own smile to appear as she saw his bright smile in her minds eye from this afternoon meeting. He really was beautiful in his own way. Not that she would ever tell him that and she knew he would be more disappointed than pleased. He wanted to be considered a tough man of action like Gibbs and Tony and not just as an intellect. But it was rare to find a man who was so sensuous, and yet strong both in body and in convictions.

Her mind lingered over his soft lips and long clever fingers and silky fine hair. Timothy McGee would be a snuggler, she was sure. There would be no cold early morning bed of rumpled sheets with him. Abandoned to god knows what. No he would roll over warm and sleepy and pull her to him and snuggle into her shoulder before falling asleep with her small frame tucked into his far taller one.

He would want her to show him the places that she loved and the things that she knew. Prague, Venice and yes even Paris. He would never begrudge her knowledge and would only ask that she share some of it with him. And he would share all that he knew willingly with her. He wasn't half hearted about anything he did. He was a man who would risk everything if it meant being with someone he cared about. That he loved. She knew that even before she asked anything of him. Which is why she had to be sure.

Laughing butterfly kisses as his long eyelashes brushed her cheek. Her murmured closed eyed contentment as he rubbed her tired feet stretched out on this very couch.

Suddenly she saw him laughing delighted, swinging his tiny pretty daughter up in the air, his trench coat swirling as he steps in the door from work. A buffer against the cold of the outside as her shrieking laughter fills the air……

Jen stilled. The errant thought was like a dousing of chilled water on her warm thoughts. She could never give him that. Her choice had been made long ago and she had few regrets.

She saw the joy in his eyes at his hard earned promotion….. and heard the whispers and looks that considered that he got it only because he warmed her bed. He would shrug and say that it didn't matter and hold her tighter for it. But it would matter and it would burn away at both of them like an acid.

She would see the disapproving looks as she attended formal functions with a far younger agent _from her own agency_ on her arm as her partner. Their relationship never considered to be serious and yet destructive to both.

No. She stilled her thoughts, the wine starting to turn sour in her mouth. The fantasy fading as rapidly as it had arrived. No. You are tired and your imagination is being over active. But she knew she wasn't. She only wanted to think that because….

Jenny jumped at the sudden loud knock at the front door and spilled a deep red splash of wine down her top. Cursing she stood and started wiping at it with some tissues. She would have to take it off and go soak it before it stained and ruined it for good. She sighed. But first the blasted door. Could she never get any peace to herself?

Still perhaps it would be Tim? Who else could it be? She put her glass down and hurried to the door swinging it open, her greeting dying on her lips along with her smile.

"Gibbs"

"Hello Jen. Do you mind if I come in?" Gibbs seemed uncharacteristically quiet and she saw his eyes take in the red wet patch of her blouse sticking to her breast. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I didn't know you drank red?"

Jen was ruffled and she didn't like being taken by surprise.

"Yes well Jethro there are lots of things you don't know about me"

Gibbs sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. This wasn't going the way he hoped. She was in a pissy mood already and it looked like he had assisted in spoiling her shirt, and not in a good rip it off her body throw it in the corner kind of way. Still if he baulked now and left then he was no better off. It would be yet another sleepless night down in the basement considering what he should have said. And it was affecting his work now. He had even seriously considered Jenny and McGee as having an affair.

"Can I come in? There is something I need to talk to you about."

Jen sighed. Gibbs would never come over unless it was something important. And he had knocked instead of simply coming in so he must want to stay on her good side. So it was either something very, very good…. Or very, very bad.

"Fine." Gibbs followed her into the lounge and sat down into the familiar soft couch.

"So what is it you want to talk about?" Jen settled herself back into her corner and turned to face him. Gibbs felt his eyes unintentionally returning to the almost transparent wet fabric clinging to her curved breast, smeared from where she had tried to wipe it up.

He felt his mouth run dry. It all seemed so sudden. It had only been this afternoon when he had realized how he felt about her and now just to look at her like this all relaxed, with her hair tousled and loose and looking again like his Jenny with her ridiculously tiny feet instead of Director Sheppard he…..

"Jethro" Her voice was gentle and there was a smile playing about her face. What was up with him? He hadn't looked at her like that in the longest time.

"Um you might want to go chance out of that. It might stain." He dragged his eyes from her chest and tried to consider the practical elements of what he was saying. Yes it might stain. She should take it off and soak it….. soak the fabric that is and while she was waiting she could stand at her bedroom window in just her lacy bra and work trousers so he could watch her from the street undress for him…..

"I think it's ruined already. Now would you mind telling me what has brought you all the way over here at this time of night?" Her tone was soft and firm but her eyes were warm.

Well you could never say things weren't interesting with Jethro around. He never failed to surprise her that was for sure. He seemed a bit flustered and she had watched him take down the most hardened criminals with just a look. But tonight? He seemed jumpy and his knee seemed to be twitching as he sat and watched her. Not watched. Devouring her with his eyes.

"Jen. I need to…….." He leaned forward into her space, his arm across the back of the couch behind her head, his breath warm, his eyes trying to read hers for something, searching for ….. permission? No for something else.

Jen stared into his familiar blue eyes. He might be flawed but he would never expect too much of her. Never ask what she couldn't give. She remembered that while she had often wished he would hold her a little tighter in his arms that there was also a freedom he gave her. A freedom she had grown accustomed too. She leaned in towards him her eyes searching his…

For the second time that night she jumped at a loud knock on her front door. Her heart hammered in her chest and she almost regretted as Gibbs pulled away. The spell broken.

"What the hell is this Grand Central Station?" She smiled wryly at Gibbs and tried to pretend nothing in that instant had happened. Which it hadn't.

Gibbs stood frustrated and stalked over to the door. Jen suddenly remembered that it could be Tim standing on the other side waiting expectantly to share a few stolen precious hours with her. She felt a shift inside herself almost as if he had caught her cheating on him. The look on his face, the betrayal, the hurt.

No wait, which of the men would wear that look?

"No Gibbs, don't!" Jen was a few steps behind him and he turned at her sudden cry and looked at her alarmed face. His own face fell, somehow crumpling then suddenly he turned and pulled the door open, his face determined as if facing his demons.

Fornell turned on the door step as the door was wrenched open. His eyes swept the two of them, Gibbs's hand on the doorknob, Jen flushed a few steps behind him, her stained blouse still clinging to her. All three stared at each other and then at the now familiar Manila envelope he held in his hand.

Fornell smiled his eyes crinkling. "Good evening, Jethro, Director. Hope I haven't interrupted anything?"


	17. Chapter 17

Fornell could feel the tension in the air and he also knew he was the last person either of them expected to see sanding on the Directors doorstep

Fornell could feel the tension in the air and he also knew he was the last person either of them expected to see sanding on the Directors doorstep. He had obviously interrupted something and until he knew the lay of the land he wasn't giving anything away.

He always thought there had once been something between Gibbs and the Director but he always considered it long over. There was a definite residual chemistry between them but they were over nonetheless.

Perhaps he had been wrong? It did explain some of Gibbs' reaction to the photos of McGee and the Director together that he had shown him only a week before.

_Interesting_.

Gibbs was suddenly smooth as usual, his initial expression swept away where Fornell couldn't study it. Gibbs stepped forward but he kept a proprietal hand on the Directors door, effectively barring the entrance.

"Fornell"

"Gibbs"

They might have been simply meeting in the street for the smoothness of the greeting.  
The two men watched each other, a slight smile on their faces the single moment stretching out into two with neither of them giving even a hint of what each of them knew. Or didn't know.

Jenny felt her impatience with these two men rising as they silently argued their claim over her attention on her doorstep.

"For goodness sake Jethro let him in will you? He obviously isn't going to tell me why he is here standing outside in the cold."

She kept her tone friendly but firm. What she told Gibbs in between her words inviting Fornell in was that not only had she not been expecting Fornell to visit, she had no idea what he wanted her for.

Jenny didn't want this becoming even more complicated that it already was. For two men who used so few words, discussing anything with these two often became more like a game of snakes and ladders than a simple exchange of information. If you weren't careful you could easily end up in a pit surround by hissing vipers. Or with a headslap.

She on the other hand preferred chess. Strict rules but endless ways to maneuver within them. She smiled as she considered their possible positions. She surely in her Universe then would be the most powerful, the Queen, Gibbs would be the fair Knight and Fornell as the dangerous but straight forward Bishop.

What did that make McGee then in this power play? A simple pawn to the whims of queenly women? Jenny pushed the discomforting thought away.

Fornell smiled as he stepped forward. Round one to him. He loved playing with Gibbs. He knew all the unspoken rules. Jenny wasn't a bad player either after too many years and rough consequences from Gibbs.

Gibbs stepped back from the door with a grin. His own curiosity was burning like the Jack Daniels currently running hot through his blood. Questions prickled at him like sharp little knives demanding answers to his captive thoughts.

So while Jenny had been expecting someone to come over it hadn't been Fornell. Who then? Who had she not wanted him to open the door to? McGee?

It had been not too long ago one of those manila envelopes Tobias was currently holding had turned his life upside down and he wanted to know what was in this one.

Did the envelope have copies of the same photos he had already seen and Fornell was advising Jenny privately that another agency had concerns about her behavior and how it might be viewed?

If so Fornell wouldn't be able to tell Jenny that he already knew about them without also saying that he had come to Gibbs first with the information. Gibbs mind worked through it all. No Fornell would have told him that he was going to do that so he would be prepared if Jenny asked to speak to him about them. About being seen with a member of his team

So new pictures. Different information.

Fornell had come to Jenny's door and not his. That also spoke volumes. What else did Fornell know that he wasn't sharing with him?

Why was it everyone seemed to be going behind everyone else's backs at the moment?

McGee.

Why was it that someone so trustworthy and loyal seemed to bring out the exact opposite of these qualities in those trying to protect him?

Jenny was smoothly back in control again. Yes this was her universe. It was more than that, it was her house. And in here if no where else she was the Queen. They had both come to her and if necessary they both must wait. They were both due to pay court to her anyway. She turned and walked into the lounge expecting both men to follow her.

"Gibbs if you wouldn't mind getting Fornell a drink? I'm going to change out of this shirt."

Jenny didn't want to have whatever conversation she was going to have with Fornell interrupted while he wondered if it had been Gibbs who had split the red wine over her blouse.

The two men smiled at each other from across the room as Jenny left. Fornell sat on the couch where Gibbs had been moments earlier while Gibbs made his way to the liquor cabinet. Gibbs turned and watched, a glass in his hand as Fornell clearly tucked the manilla folder into the inside pocket of his trench coat.

So definitely not for him then.

"A single shot or a double Tobias?" Gibbs asked holding up the Jack Daniels, that Jenny made her own by having in a crystal decanter. She always was classy like that. Even on a gun range she could be trusted to have style.

"A double"

Ahh so potentially big news then. But was it personal or was it agency news? He would wait and bide his time and see what unraveled from this ball of red tape. He handed the glass across to Fornell and then he too settled himself on the couch. He stretched one arm over the back taking up the entire far end of the spacious couch.

Mine.

Within moments Jenny was back and new clean crisp shirt tucked in place of the old one.

"So Tobias, to what do I owe this pleasure on this chilly evening?"

Fornell sat forward and swiveled around a bit so he could take in Gibbs posture as well as face Jenny directly.

"It is regarding…….." Fornell considered how much to give away considering it appeared that one or both of them was possibly concealing information from him.

"non agency related activities of a particular agent who has come up in conversation before." There that was specific enough if you wanted it to be and yet said almost nothing.

Jenny and Gibbs sat there considering.

McGee.

Jenny risked a glance to Gibbs and saw him watching her. Should she tell him that one of his agents had asked her permission to become involved in working with the CIA? She should tell him and McGee had told her that it all seemed to be finally coming to a head. Still McGee would be meeting with Ellie tonight and would have more details for her tomorrow. The first thing Gibbs would want from her (after being pissed beyond measure that he hadn't been told earlier) would be details of the op which she just couldn't give him.

She really had nothing. They had done nothing.

Yet.

Besides she had no idea what Fornell had with him. It was obviously important and dangerous enough for him to come visit her not at the agency but her at her personal home. He had come to her and not to Gibbs when he so easily could have. In fact he probably trusted Gibbs a lot more than he trusted her. She looked at Fornell but he gave her nothing extra other than a mildly interested look. Anymore and Gibbs would be onto it.

Snakes and ladders.

Gibbs watched Jenny as she considered her options, her own frustration and curiosity flickering across her small features. He willed her to just tell him what was going on. She could trust him. They were still in many ways partners. Unless she had a new one? Come on Jenny stop keeping secrets and just tell me! How was he supposed to look out for her if he didn't know what was going on?

Then her jaw set and he knew. She had decided.

"Gibbs, I believe I should discuss this issue with Agent Fornell in private. It is obviously important enough for him to come here tonight."

Here Gibbs watched as Jenny stumbled a little on the words "I would like to continue our conversation that we started earlier when I get the chance though. Perhaps tomorrow?"

Jenny looked up at Gibbs hoping he would take the apology for kicking him out and hear the sincerity in her voice that she did truly want to know what it was his eyes had been asking her in the moment before Fornell had knocked on the door.

Gibbs eyes turned a shade colder as he was excluded. He put his glass down and with a slight smile at Fornell headed towards the door. Just before he reached it, he turned and Jenny's head which had dropped slightly to study the rug lifted to watch his face.

"Tomorrow? I might be a bit busy tomorrow to continue our discussion but perhaps when you're not so busy with non agency related matters, _Director_."

Jenny stilled and watched as Gibbs strode out of her door not half an hour after walking through it. But it felt like so much had changed between them. And she had once again chosen her work over him.

Jenny turned to the man who seemed to delight in causing mischief for her.

"So Fornell what do you have for me?"

When Fornell left after dropping his bombshell of elegant shrapnel Jenny stood and poured herself a stiff drink of Jack Daniels. Not a wine for her this time. She needed the Jacks bracing strength and familiarity lacing its way through her veins to fortify herself. Now in this brief moment of brutal honesty with herself she wished she had asked Gibbs to stay.

Selfishly for her, so she could see him look at her like that again. The warm spots dancing in his eyes.

So he too could share in the decisions she must make. Decisions which might cost an agent his life.

What was she going to do?

(Sorry about the length of time since updating. Between anxiety my favourite guy would be killed off and writing um at least four longer stories plus some other stuff didn't get to it. Let me know what you think of my characterisations as i don't write these ones much and interested to know if believable. More to come. Thanks for the support and reviews too! Precious)


	18. Chapter 18

Ellie stalked down the hallway outside Timothy's apartment and snapped open her phone.

"We need to bring everything forward. There is a risk of our plans being compromised. Take him tonight. There is someone with him now. Wait until she is gone."

She paused for an instant listening impatiently before responding.

"I don't care if he's hurt. At this stage of our plans we don't need him cooperative. We already have everything we needed from him. In fact if necessary we don't even need him alive. Just keep it quiet and quick and don't let anyone see you."

Ellie snapped the phone shut and left the building. Damn she hated changing her plans like that.

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Jenny cursed. She thought she was so clever, so experienced. Instead she had led an inexperienced undercover agent into trouble. He came to her for advice and she directed him right into a trap. Damn it!

Jenny tried to calm herself as she considered again the photos and plans that Fornell had shown her and the snippets of conversation that had been recorded. He had his suspicious of course but she was the one with the final piece of the puzzle. The bit that said that McGee had been working undercover assisting these people in an effort to discover not only more about their plans but to explain why she as the Director of NCIS had been bypassed by the CIA.

Jenny also knew that Ellie was not really some beautiful helpless Mafia Moll. She appeared frequently in the photos in various guises and Jenny told Fornell that she had identified herself as long term undercover CIA.

As Fornell laid out his own pieces of information collected over the last few months her mind had whirred trying to find an explanation.

Was McGee a traitor to his country? No!

Was McGee experienced in explosives? Not that she knew about.

Had she read his Psyche profile? Yes of course she had.

Did she know why evidence of McGee's computer tampering was being collected and collated? Work which was being done outside of NCIS's jurisdiction?

Did she know why his fingerprints had been found on a Senators personal safe which had been broken open at his home in Colorado?

Why were large amounts of money being transferred into offshore accounts in his name? Did she know that his lawyer had been contacted advising of a codicil to his will?

The questions kept coming. What the hell was going on?

It all poured out onto her coffee table, a wave of confusion pointing sinister fingers at one of the most loyal trustworthy men she had met. She had assured Fornell that McGee was not a traitor and explained that they had been working together on something undercover. She felt ridiculous that she really didn't have much information to bring to the growing pile but Fornell only nodded.

"I thought it must be something like that. One of Gibbs' people would never betray him let alone their country. Besides McGee's a good man although it looks like he has got himself involved in something a lot bigger than he thought."

"A lot bigger than either of us thought, Fornell."

Jenny nodded decisively "Whatever is going on, it's dangerous and rapidly getting out of control. He was receiving some important information from his contact tonight but I don't think we should wait. I'm going to pull him out. We can try and work through it later but I won't risk him walking blind into some sort of fire fight."

Fornell nodded. "From the looks of it someone is trying to set him up to cover for someone or something. But I have no idea what it is, only that it seems pretty big for someone to be going to all this trouble. If I have anymore information I will let you know immediately."

Jenny nodded as Fornell collected the pictures and notes together.

"And Director? I would appreciate you sharing any information that you have on this topic as well?" Fornell looked at her, one eyebrow raised and she smiled and nodded.

"Of course Fornell. Professional courtesy. As always."

Fornell just smirked and quietly muttering let himself out.

Jenny felt the impatience surge in her and she grabbed her car keys and jacket. She needed to go talk to Tim and possibly even have him removed into custody for his own safety until they could work out what sort of game was being played against them.

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Tim stood and looked at Ziva as she beckoned him closer. What could he tell her? What was he allowed to tell her? This was the first time he had done this and he hadn't expected the hardest parts to be deceiving his team members.

He needed to tell her something to throw her off, just for a little while and then it would be done and he wouldn't need to hide anything. What could he tell her? Think Timothy!

"I'm having an affair with Director Sheppard!" It burst out of him and suddenly the enormity of what he said hit him and he covered his mouth, shocked at himself.

Ziva just stared at him, her eyes narrowed, assessing him. Could she tell the truth? Or see the lie?

Ziva watched as McGee flushed under her gaze. An affair with Jenny? Surely not besides that didn't explain who Ellie was or why McGee was afraid of her?

Tim felt himself growing indignant. What, didn't she think he was man enough for Jenny? She was the one who had kissed him. She was the one who told him things about herself by the firelight. How could he not come to care for her?

Tim felt the words spilling out of him, all the little things he had tucked away into his personal Jenny file to be considered only when he was alone.

"She had a horse called Shine when she was eight. She fell off and broke her arm and her father took the horse away. She hated him for that. She prefers her orange juice in the morning without the pulp, but doesn't mind it with any other time during the day. She has her feet manicured every month but she paints her own fingernails. She listens to Def Leppard when she exercises and Edith Piaf when someone is coming over. She doesn't like mushrooms but doesn't tell anyone if they are served to her. Her shoulder aches at night in the cold from when she was shot ten years ago….."

Ziva held up her hand holding off the torrent of words.

"And her lips taste of strawberry from the gloss she wears over her lipstick"

Tim stood in the middle of his apartment almost gasping as if a confession had been torn from him while Ziva simply stared.

McGee and Jenny?

Jenny had told her some of the same things over the years and the dull hours shared during an operation but strawberry? She watched McGee and saw how he flushed, regretted, twisted and denied. It was true but not somehow at the same time.

She never thought McGee could ever convincingly lie to her. And in a way he hadn't but he seemed to have layered the truth up so thick she couldn't read him. Perhaps he didn't know the truth himself?

"Please Ziva, just go. I can't explain anything to you now. I just….. I don't…Thank you for your concern but I need to work this out for myself. Please?"

Ziva just nodded, her mind whirling. She walked past Tim and then with one last look back at him as he stood torn and anxious in the center of his apartment she left quietly closing the door behind her.

Tim collapsed into his computer chair and dropped his head in his hands. Why did he have to say that! What would Ziva think? He didn't know if he wanted her to believe him or not. The thought of Ziva watching him walk into the Bullpen knowing that he cared for the Director in some way and it was yet another love not returned, gutted him.

She would think he was pathetic.

He thought about earlier in the evening. She had been about to kiss him he was sure of it. Was it out of pity or concern? He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. It was all so complicated and he didn't know what to feel about anything.

He jumped slightly at the soft knock on his door. Cursing he stood to open it. What was his place tonight? Grand Central Station? Who was it going to be this time? Tony? Ziva or Ellie returning?

His mind was so occupied that when he opened the door and saw the tranquilizer gun he took a second to react and then it was too late. The numbness flooded through him and he found he couldn't even scream for help. He collapsed in a limp pile on the floor and watched as a stranger's shoes methodically stepped over his unresponsive body and ……

Tim struggled to keep his eyes open to try and record what was happening but suddenly all he could see was blackness.

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Jenny knew something was wrong the moment she got to Tim's apartment and saw the door ajar. Pulling her weapon from her holster she nudged the door open with her foot and quickly peered through. Nothing. She swing around the door frame, her weapon ready in a two handed grip. Nothing.

"McGee?" She called not expecting an answer. A quick sweep of the apartment showed it empty. Empty except for his gun, badge, wallet, ID, watch and phone.

She knew he had been planning to stay at home and wait for Ellie's instructions. Feeling the too familiar twisting in her gut she flipped open her phone. There wasn't a choice. She needed help. Tim needed his help.

"Gibbs. McGee's been taken."

(

(So da da dahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Finally some movement. Yah. Big thank you to iheartgibbs for her help with this chapter)


	19. Chapter 19

"Gear up DiNozzo, we got a case"

"What is it Boss?"

"McGee"

"Uhh McGee's not here Boss?"

"I know that DiNozzo. McGee IS the case. He's gone missing. Grab the truck and gear and Ziva and I will meet you at McGee's place."

"How do you know he's really missing Boss? What if he's just got caught up in some online gaming thing? Or in a little down and dirty with that new girlfriend of his?"

"DiNozzo!"

"Right. Need to know. I'll get the gear and meet you there."

It was eerie to see McGee's apartment taped off as a crime scene. Tony dragged in the cameras and equipment and settled it in a pile in the corridor.

Tony was surprised to see Director Sheppard talking to Gibbs animatedly in the corner. Ouch, Gibbs looked pissed. He sidled across to Ziva who had just finished talking to McGee's neighbor.

"Ziva what the hell is going on?"

Ziva turned and gave him an appraising look as if trying to judge just how much he knew.

"The Director is certain that McGee is not just missing but has in fact been taken somewhere. There are however no signs of a struggle but his phone, gun, wallet, keys and Id are still in the apartment. He gave me no indication that he was going to leave to go anywhere when I was speaking to him. There was only half an hour between me leaving McGee's and the Director arriving so we have a pretty good time frame but other than that I don't know."

"You were at McGee's place tonight? Wait… so was the Director? Why?"

"Well I will leave it to the Director to explain her part but I came over to speak to McGee. You must have noticed things have seemed a bit 'Hinky' with him lately? So I wanted to confront him and see what was really going on."

Tony opened his mouth to continue but snapped it shut as Gibbs signaled him over.

"Looks like a professional job quick, silent and no witnesses. Do your job and see if you can get any samples to get over to Abby. When you're done meet back at Base. The Director has finally decided to give us a briefing."

"Right Boss." Tony decided to consider the undertones of that statement once he was standing several meters away. He picked up his camera and tried to view the familiar apartment objectively as a crime scene. Abby would kill him if he missed anything.

The quiet strains of background jazz still playing on Tim's stereo drifted across the team as they questioned, searched and swabbed the entire apartment.

The team assembled back at in the Bullpen. Hours had gone by and nothing. A BOLO had been issued, parking garage security cameras tapes had been sourced and were being checked by Abby.

Tony who had privately held onto the notion that McGee was going to get his ass kicked for turning up after simply going out for pizza began to feel worried. McGee wasn't the sort of guy who wandered off without his phone. In fact McGee didn't randomly do anything.

Still he needed to joke to keep his concerns at bay. "Well lucky for us McGeek's place is so small or we would have been there all night. Although I must speak to him about that hair in the plughole. He must have a receding hairline if all that's come out."

Ziva just elbowed him and nodded her head at the Director who was standing in the center of the bullpen facing them.

"All right well the first thing you should know is that Agent McGee was approached by the CIA to work with them on a covert operation some three months ago."

Tony blinked

"He approached me privately about undertaking this as he needed to know whether this action had been sanctioned by me or not. It hadn't. After some discussion he undertook the operation known as 'Big Boy' himself, feeding me back what information he could about who was involved and possibly undermining ongoing NCIS activities. "

Tony blinked again

"Earlier this evening Fornell came to me with information which led me to believe that McGee was involved in something much larger and more dangerous than I anticipated. I went to his apartment to warn him and if necessary place him under protective custody. As you know he wasn't there when I arrived but the door was left open and everything else was as you found it. McGee was meant to receive vital information regarding the operation tonight from his handler. You have already met her in person. Ellie."

Tony sat up in surprise "Wait, wait. So Ellie isn't McGee's surprise girlfriend but is actually CIA?"

Attention turned as Fornell and Agent Sacks swept into the bull pen, acknowledging Gibbs and the Director with a curt nod.

"More than that DiNutso, she's a deep cover agent. We had her involved in Mafia activities. I originally came to the Director concerned that one of her agents was fraternising with someone of …shall we say dubious connections. Turns out NCIS are not the only agency not being advised of this groups activities."

Sack's booted up McGee's computer and up on the plasma screen came dozens of photos showing McGee, Ellie, the Director, and dozens of other people scattered around several different locations on different days. A hotel lobby, a truck the back covered in a tarpaulin, an airport lounge, a man slipping a USB key into his sleeve, an internet café, a woman listening to her earwig instructions in a car park. All seemed innocuous individually, almost boring.

"The FBI have, as always have been monitoring unusual activity, people of interest, anonymous tips coming from all over. There have been bits and pieces that seemingly had no common denominator that we could understand. A reference to 'Big Boy' here and there was about it. It appears now that the only common denominator is McGee. After I spoke with the Director earlier this evening I advised all contact sites to be checked out and I upgraded that request when I heard McGee was missing. Something is going down. We just don't know what or why. All we do know is it appears to be domestic as Intel hasn't picked up a single bit of chatter. It's also too convoluted, lots of small maneuvers instead of a few big ones for someone based out of the country. We don't believe they know that we have as much information on them as we do. In fact without McGee as the common factor we probably would never have put what we do have together. "

Tony quickly scanned some of the images before stopping at one which caught his attention. McGee had Ellie pressed up against a wall and they were kissing, bodies aggressively locked together. She had her leg hooked around his calf flashing acres of bare toned leg.

Go Probie. Looks like McGee had been up to a lot of things these last couple of months. He remembered that not once had McGee taken them up on the offer to have a drink after work. How lately he had seemed quiet and a bit withdrawn from the rest of the team.

Tony thought how just this afternoon McGee had wanted to speak to him and how he had joked that it couldn't have been that serious. Huh well that nothing serious seemed to have resulted in McGee being MIA. Was it only that afternoon? It felt like months had gone by. Well it was a long time after midnight so technically it was yesterday.

Ziva had a considering look on her face. "I suspected something was up so I went over to his place after work to confront him. Ellie turned up and saw us together. She didn't want me around to hear whatever it was she was planning on telling McGee. She backed off and said it didn't matter and she would speak to McGee later. Perhaps she simply thought whatever it was they were doing was going to be compromised and the operation was brought forward? Perhaps he is still working with them and once it is done he will simply turn back up? "

This theory was met with some doubtful looks. The Director shook her head.

"No. McGee would have left a note or called or got a message through somehow that there had been this change of plans. It's too much of a coincidence that we get close and he suddenly disappears. Anyway he knew I was going to contact him sometime tonight to find out what had happened with Ellie.  
I contacted the Head of the CIA earlier and he genuinely didn't seem to know what I was talking about. He is doing some investigation and said he would get back to me as soon as he had anything but potentially this group could be working under their own instructions. I don't know if we should suspect this CIA group themselves or whoever it is they are after. Perhaps their target found out about Tim and is instead working to discredit him?"

Ziva felt uncomfortable. Perhaps the unvocalised challenge she had issued to Ellie had resulted in harm possibly coming to Tim?

"Did he say anything to you Ziva when you saw him?"

Ziva looked up at Jenny, watching her face.

"He said he was having an affair with you."

Tony snorted loudly and then burst out laughing. " Oh Ziva, this is so not the time for being funny. Although I have to hand it to you…McGeek and the Director??"  
Tony laughed so hard he had tears forming in his eyes and didn't notice the awkward tension that had suddenly developed in the air

"Tony. I was not being funny." Ziva's voice was quiet but firm as she watched Jenny.

Tony looked around and suddenly felt the strained silence weighing heavily on him.

"Oh"

Jenny turned and looked at Gibbs acknowledging his hard gaze. "Obviously as a result of the case we have been spending more time together out of work."

Agent Sacks surreptitiously tapped away at McGee's keyboard and brought up pictures of McGee and the Director eating ice cream, laughing, walking together, leaning close, and eating dinner.

"Yes Thank you Agent Sacks" Jenny's voice was dry as she coolly turned her gaze on the expressionless agent.

"Ma'am"

Jenny turned back to Ziva. "I'm sure he was just trying to throw you off the scent You are rather intimidating in full interrogation mode, Ziva. You said Ellie had been there and then backed off? What was Ti.. McGee's reaction to all this?"

Ziva considered the look she had seen in McGee's eyes when he had been startled by Ellie's knock.

"He was frightened of her. Of what she could do."

Tim felt every bounce and roll as he lay still paralyzed in the rough moving swerving darkness. He was in a car? He must be covered with something? Scratchy and thick. A wool blanket?

It was all he could do to keep breathing but he did feel the most remote of tingles in his .. toes? Please let the feeling come back before they stopped. He didn't like to think about being hauled out limp and lifeless and unable to defend himself from whatever was coming for him. He lay there his eyes wide open trying to remember everything and anything he could.

Gibbs! Help! His mind screamed as his throat remained uncooperative and silent

Fornell answered his phone and after a quick nod snapped it shut. "We have movement on one of the sites we have been monitoring. It might be nothing but given we don't have anything else at this stage?"

Gibbs nodded "Gear up Tony, Ziva"

"I hope we aren't going to have a fight on our hands over jurisdiction here Fornell?"

"Well it's your agent that's missing but it's our information so it would appear that our cases have become intertwined. How about some good old fashioned cooperation?"

Jenny nodded. "Good. And I'm coming with you"

"What?"

Jenny turned and addressed Gibbs as the other scrambled for their gear and headed to the elevator.

"He came to me Gibbs. Not you. Me. And I didn't find out enough about what was happening before agreeing to send him in. He's inexperienced undercover and was too eager."

"He's a good agent Jen"

"That doesn't mean he won't get hurt Jethro and I want to help find him"

Gibbs watched her as she stood there determined.

"I won't hold the elevator long"


	20. Chapter 20

The car traveled on and Tim felt his head clear more from the suffocating cotton wool sensation it had been filled with as a result of the drugs swirling through his system. The tiny tingle in his toes had spread all over as his body fought to regain control of itself. It was like a painful extreme case of pins and needles but Tim had never felt more grateful for it.

Tranquilizing someone was always a tricky science dependant on the persons own body chemistry, height, weight and muscle mass. Tim was grateful for once that he didn't look like he had the muscle mass he actually did. He worked out four times a week and yet he still had a sort of soft appearance. It was only underneath that you could feel his strength.

He wriggled painfully trying to encourage the growing control he had over his limbs. It would be an advantage he could use against then if he could pretend to still be limp and unconscious and then surprise them enough he could escape. It wasn't much of a plan and might well result in him being shot in the back but it was all he had.

He tried to remember how long he had been in this small suffocating place and how fast he thought they might have been traveling. If he ever needed to lead the team back here all the information he could give them would be vital.

It seemed hopeless though as the first part of the trip he had been unconscious and they could have traveled into another state for all he knew. It was night. That he knew. Late at night, very dark and it was cold. The really crisp freezing sort of cold that usually preceded snow. Snow. Surely it was too early in the season for snow?

Tim shook his head trying to clear it. He was finding it hard to keep his thoughts on track and they seemed to wander off like curious children at a fairground at the first available opportunity.

He felt the car slow, turn and then travel over road that was rougher than it had been. His aching body rattled with every bump and pothole. His heart rate soared and he tried to stay calm and relax. Soon. He took control of his breathing forcing his body back into a state of calm.

He tried to keep his body completely lax a task which was actually more difficult than it seemed. He closed his eyes, slumped his head down and allowed a little trickle of drool to escape his mouth.

A moment late the car came to a stop and he could hear voices and doors slamming. Muffled instructions were given and he could hear the crunch of gravel underfoot as heavy figures came towards him.

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)

Jen sat in the front seat of the car while Gibbs sped through the night following Fornell's instructions on the location.

Tony and Ziva sat silent in the back seat feeling the tension slowly build to an uncomfortable tangible level.

"So Jen, anything more you can tell us about these people McGee has been working with?" Gibbs broke the silence, his voice flat and hard as the bright lights blurred past the windows in the night.

Jen turned from her contemplation of the darkness and instead stared straight ahead. Beautiful bright green eyes.

"They're dangerous. Tim refused to continue to do any work for them at one stage unless they filled him in on what he was doing for them. They beat him up. Cracked a couple of ribs, took a slight hit to the head, badly grazed down the side of his chest where they dragged him across the gravel. He spent the night at my place so I could keep an eye on him."

Silence so loud Tony could hear it pounding on his eardrums rang through the car. The only movement Gibbs made that indicated he heard what Jenny said was his grip tightening on the steering wheel until his knuckles were white.

"Where you ever going to tell me about one of my team members getting hurt Jen?"

Jen just shot him a look "I requested that he replace Agent Thomson in MTAC during the following week to assist with some delicate operations, if you remember? I couldn't have him going out into the field until his ribs where in better shape and no I obviously didn't tell you the real reason why I wanted him off field duty."

Jen turned her head to look back out the window so she couldn't see Gibbs' face and his angry blue eyes.

Jen smiled to herself in recollection, talking softly almost to herself. "You would have been proud of him Jethro. He was more worried about getting blood on my guest towels than he ever was about the pain."

Ziva glanced across at Tony trying not to look worried. Tony too seemed at a loss for words. Wasn't anything what they had thought?

Ziva remembered the conflicted look on McGee's face when she had last seen him and he had confessed to having an affair with Jenny. She looked across and saw the same look on Jenny face mirrored in the glass of the window. How often had Tim stayed alone over at the Directors place? How often had she been the only one he could turn too when things got confusing or dangerous?

McGee was a grown man. A Federal Agent. And he was also his friend. Tony tried to convince himself that this endless night wasn't currently happening as he worried. Tim would be fine. Really.

Ok so it looked like he was being held hostage or captive by one or more believed dangerous armed groups with unknown intentions. And he had already been missing for hours. He might already be…

No! Probie would be fine. McGee survived car washes and superglue and dog attacks and dislocated shoulders. Tony would be throwing paper at him before he knew it.

Tony twisted his hands between his knees and held them tight to stop them jumping around as the car sped on through the black cold night.

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(

Tim felt the two goons grab him and drag his unresisting body out of the car trunk. They weren't gentle and Tim fought not to resist and tense up as they scraped his body across the edge of the trunk and dropped him unceremoniously to the rough ground before they adjusted their hold on him and carried him away from the car.

There was a change in temperature and light and Tim knew that he was inside a surprisingly small building, with relatively low ceilings. So it wasn't a warehouse. Maybe a storage facility of some kind? He tried to listen to see if he could tell how many people there were around but no one currently seemed to be talking.

He was dropped roughly to the ground and stifled his groan.

"Is he awake yet?"

"Nah. Still out cold otherwise I would have made him walk in here"

"You sure?"

Tim heard a sudden step near his ear and then felt a swift kick to his stomach that had him screaming silently in his head. He expelled the air the kick had forced out but tried to remain limp and soundless as he felt the two men watching him.

"Well good enough then. But to be safe I'll get some rope and we can tie him up."

This was it. Tim knew that once he was tied his chances of getting out of here were slim. It seemed to be only the two of them.

He cracked open his eyes and watched as one set of sets of boots started walking away from him. He readied himself as much as he could and then leapt to his feet. His knees almost gave way underneath him as they became accustomed to his weight once more and he settled into a fighters stance as he had been taught, his feet apart and his weight balanced. He threw a punch at the man who turned surprised to face him and succeeded in knocking him stumbling back several steps.

Tim whirled trying to find a way out and away from these people and was surprised by what he saw. He seemed to be in a school?

There were bright painted pictures pinned on the walls of smiling suns and stick people families and crude stuffed paper puppets hanging from the ceilings, while tiny chairs and soft pillows lay scattered around the room.

Go! His mind screamed and he moved towards the outer wall searching for a door, stumbling over child sized furniture in his disorientation and panic. Suddenly he felt a firm hand on his shoulder and he was spun around and driven to his knees by another punch to his stomach.

Tim's arm shot out and connected with the back of the man's knees and he too buckled to the floor. Suddenly the two of them were grappling with each other and rolling around on the floor.

Tim remembered his sessions with Kate and pushing up with his feet flipped the man off of him and threw him hard onto the floor, where the man lay wheezing for breath. Tim clambered painfully to his feet and managed a further step before the second man was on him.

Ellie sighed. Really Timothy McGee was proving to be quiet painful. It seemed there was an awful lot more aggressive in his passive aggressive nature than they had given him credit for. The longer this went on the more bruised and bloodied he would become and the more questions would be asked. And questions meant work for her.

She pulled her hair loose and roughly tore her fingers through it before yanking on her shirt tearing the top few buttons loose. Running her hands along the top of the doorway she collected a handful of dust and grit and smeared it across her face and arms.

"Derrick. Come here. Do exactly as I say"

Tim was struggling with his hands around the other mans throat trying to keep him at bay. His reach was longer but the other man was heavier and slowly forcing him into a corner. Suddenly a third man stepped into sight, his gun held to Ellie's forehead who stood trembling and torn before him, her arms tied tight behind her.

"Release him or she dies!" The man smirked at him, coolly confident he would do as he said.

"Don't do it Tim!" Ellie called out and was slapped across the face for her efforts.

Tim released the mans throat and slowly backed away. He hated Ellie, but she was still a Federal Agent. She was doing her duty and he wouldn't see her shot for it. It looked like they had both been collected up, perhaps by the people they had been working against?

The man who he had been fighting snarled at him and shoved him into a full sized chair and roughly bound his hands and feet. Tim called out concerned as he winced under the rough rope.

"What are you going to do with her? Please I did what you asked so drop the gun" Tim pleaded for Ellies safety.

Tim watched in growing horror and disbelief as Ellie smiled and stepped away from her captor.

"Thank you Derrick." Ellie turned and pulling her arms from behind her back where she had been holding them simply took the gun Derrick had been holding against her head an instant ago and held it lightly in her hand.

"Surprise"

Tim gaped "I … I don't understand. Your one of them? What do you want with me? I don't even know anything. You wouldn't tell me!"

Ellie smiled and Tim felt a chill at the sight of her cold eyes.

"Well Timothy. It all comes down to this. YOU are the operation. The entire reason for being actually. You are going to die. Very soon actually. You will be shot not long after you set off a large, violent explosion destroying this school. And your much publicized death will result in an increase in funding for the agencies and an increase in security across the country and we will all sleep well in our beds. Except you of course. We might even be able to change a few personal liberty laws on the back of the public outrage we intend to create."

Ellie strolled calmly about in front of him, dusting herself off and straightening her shirt.

"Do you like the location? It was going to be a warehouse but I decided this would be so much better. Nice and visual. It's a kindergarten for Islamic families in the area and soon there will be charred ABC's and scorched finger paintings surrounded by your blood on the front page of every newspaper in the Industrialized world. Federal Agent turns against his own Government. Poetic don't you think?"

Tim just stared at her trying to reconcile his situation with her reality.

"I would like to say that your life will be worth something. That you are being sacrificed for the good of America. You shall die for a noble cause……" Ellie turned and leaned in close making sure he heard her "But really Timothy it's all about the Benjamin's"

"You're insane! No one will believe you."

"Insane? Quiet possibly. But believe us they will. Don't forget you have been feeding us evidence tainted by your own hand for months. Don't worry Timothy your going to be famous." Ellie smiled brightly as if this cruel immortality was something he yearned for.

Tim started struggling against his bonds, twisting, tearing his wrists in a desperate effort to get free. She was mad! She had to be stopped!

Ellie frowned "Stop that! I can see you're going to have some trouble adjusting to being a martyr. Here let me help"

Ellie stepped behind Tim and he felt a flash of pain as something solid hit the back of his head and he rushed forward into sickening blackness once more.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Gibbs felt a sudden twisting sickening feeling in his guts. He glanced across at Jens face almost by reflex and she knew without him saying anything. Gibbs pushed the car even faster through the night.

Something was dreadfully wrong with McGee.

(

(A huge thank you to those that have reviewed and a big Im sorry this has taken me so long to update. I have been writing.. just other things. i hope you find this update a satisfying one and I aim to try and concentrate on this story a bit and try and get it finished as its getting to the exciting bits now. Please let me know what you think as it does help to know people are reading and get me to write faster. Thanks for your patience. Precious )


	21. Chapter 21

Suddenly they were there. Gibbs skidded the car to a halt, dust and gravel flying. They all piled out quickly pulling on their bullet proof vests and readying their ear pieces, zipping up their jackets against the freezing night air.

Tony tried to erase the sweaty chill creeping up under his jacket, poking its bony painful fingers into his kidneys. "At least it isn't a warehouse. The bad guys always pick a warehouse. This at least shows some imagination."

An instant later Fornell was waiving them over and jogging quickly through the dark the three NCIS agents and one Director joined the dozen or more FBI agents in a huddle.

"Alright Director how do you want to handle this? You obviously have the seniority here" Fornell knelt down, flashlight out on the map in front of him.

Jenny looked up her face composed. She was in the field again. No fear.

"Look Fornell, this is your Intel here, you have the greater number of agents already in position. I just want to get Tim back, safe and sound. As long as we can do that this is your operation."

Fornell nodded "Alright"

Gibbs interrupted "We Director. We want to get McGee back."

Jenny shot Gibbs a look that could cut through steel. "Of course Gibbs. That goes without saying."

Fornell was already directing teams to cover the various exits and entrances.

"Gibbs. How about you and DiNozzo take the back left and the Director and Officer David back right? I have two teams doing an initial sweep and then we'll go in. I don't need your famous gut Gibbs to know something isn't right here. A truck arrived 20 minutes ago and there are some goons loading it up with something unknown. Lights are on in the upstairs office area. A residential area like this, at this time of night? "

Gibbs nodded "Alright lets get this over with. DiNozzo go with Ziva. I'll go with the Director."

Tony looked like he was about to say something, instead he just nodded before jogging off with Ziva. "Right Boss"

Jenny stood to her full height, wishing not for the first time that she was a little taller in statue. "What going to keep an eye on me Jethro? Think I might get myself in trouble? Do something stupid? It might have been a while since I was out in the field but I know how to handle myself _Agent Gibbs_"

Gibbs turned to Jenny in the dark only their two flashlights illuminating the scene. It was so cold his quiet words made a fog of brief warmth around his face as Gibbs turned to Jenny with anguished pain filled eyes.

"No Jenny. That's not it at all. I want to make sure you're with me so _I _don't do anything stupid." And with that Gibbs quietly turned and started heading towards the building.

Jenny cursed herself. That was always it with Gibbs. Just when she thought she knew him so well he would unveil himself a little further. She knew how he felt about his team. They were quite literally his family and one of them, the youngest was missing and probably hurt. She knew Tim looked up to Gibbs, even more than he did with Tony. Hell anyone with eyes could see that. Tim had spent years trying to make himself a better agent, modeling himself on Gibbs. If she thought about it, it was probably one of the reasons Tim wanted to get experience undercover so he could learn those lesions.

If they went into that building and Gibbs discovered Tim's battered lifeless body… his inquisitive eyes frozen open in terror and pain….

Gibbs was right. She was one of the few people who could turn him back from murdering the bastards that would do such a thing.

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut tight. No! It would not end this way. Tim was too damn young and smart and he had his whole life in front of him to be caught up in this mess. She should have stopped him. She should have got to his apartment sooner. She shouldn't have succumbed to her own vanity and assured Tim that everything was fine.

Later. Later she would have the time to detest herself but now she had a job to do and that was to get him back alive.

Jenny turned and quickly caught up with Gibbs.

She thought about what to say to this man who was hurting. This man who still loved her and was being torn in a dozen different directions at once. How could she tell him she understood what he asked of her?

"I've got your back Gibbs"

Her voice was quiet in the still night and as Gibbs continued, his pace slowing as they came closer his response was so quiet she almost didn't hear it.

"You always did Jen"

(

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

(

Abby spun in her chair. Round and round. McGee would be fine. The others would find him and it would all be a false alarm and he would have been helping those CIA people with some project and while he worked on the computer the time simply got away from him. That's all.

Round and round. Abby wasn't sure if it was the spinning or her emotions which were making her feel sick, twisting her stomach into knots. And she didn't really want to know so she continued to spin. Round and round.

Gibbs would find him. Tony would find him. Even the Director was out looking.

Gibbs had told her to go home and get some sleep and they would call when they found him. Abby had just looked at him disbelieving and Gibbs had smiled apologetically and kissed her forehead before he left.

McGee would be fine and he would be in her lab in the morning, giving her that 'What?' look. And she would punch him in the shoulder….. after she gave him a hug that would squeeze the life out of him first.

Round and round. What was taking them so long?

Tim would be fine. Abby bit her lip and tried not to cry as she sat in the silence of her lab, her senses straining to hear the phone call. The call that would tell her that Tim was ok.

Round and round.

(

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

(

Gibbs nodded, and signaled to Fornell.

"Ready DiNozzo?"

"Never better Boss"

"Alright then……. GO!"

Five doors simultaneously burst open, armed agents from two agencies pouring into the large retail plant nursery.

"Federal Agents Freeze!"

"Drop your weapons!"

(

(Come on ! Let me know your reading and what you think. As promised Im trying to update faster on this to keep up momentum)


	22. Chapter 22

"Jen? Anything?"

Jenny shook her head, her heart racing and her eyes darting to Ziva's face as she too burst back into the room

"Ziva?" Gibbs called his question obvious

Ziva just shook her head, her voice hard "No Gibbs, He's not here"

Ziva didn't need to explain further. She had pounded through every room on the upper floor twice, her heart racing every time she burst through a door wondering what she would find behind it. She had checked under desks, in cupboards and under the stairwell. Nothing.

She had seen too many terrible things in her short life to fool herself about what she might find. She had found the dismembered bodies of people she cared for too often.

Tim.

Gibbs cursed under his breath as he stood over the five handcuffed men kneeling on the ground in front of him.

Fornell tipped his head and caught Gibbs eye "You should come see this"

"Tony, stand and watch these guys for me"

"No problem Boss" Tony grinned in anticipation, his Sig ready in his hand as stepped up to take Gibbs place. He would happily play Bad Cop to Gibbs' Worse Cop, if it meant finding Probie any faster. Not Probie.

Tim.

Gibbs stalked over to Fornell his gut twisted into knots and every muscle tendon screaming from anxiety.

"What have you got Fornell?"

"McGee may not be here but I believe they were headed somewhere tonight. Look at this" Fornell pulled back the tarpaulin covering over the back of the large truck.

Barrels and bags of nitrates and phosphates. Fertilizer. Explosives.

"Shit. There enough there to do some serious damage Fornell."

"They were loading it and heading out Gibbs. I just know it. And I'm betting on McGee being wherever this delightful delivery was headed. And you know what that means?"

Gibbs smiled "At least one of those dirt bags knows where the truck was going"

Fornell smiled grimly "Got it in one, Jethro"

Gibbs laughed knowing the captured men were watching the little show and wondering what was going to come next. Let them sweat.

"You wouldn't mind if I…?"

"Of course not Jethro! I wouldn't dream of interfering. A Federal Agent and member of your team is missing. I believe this calls for the implementation of the Home Security Act."

"The Home Security Act?"

"Oh yes you know the one that allows us to detain captives and question them on site if we believe that it is vital to the ongoing situation"

Fornell winked and Gibbs smirked. Sly old fox.

"Oh yeah. I believe we should be able to use the Managers office for our _interrogation_."

"Pity they won't see the sun rise. It's going to be a very long, long time before any of them will see the sun rise as free men again. In fact they might end up in isolation. Tiny cramped grey metal cells all alone, day after day after day. Visitors will need to bring picture books to show them what colors mean. So sad once they reach that phase. Their minds turn to cheese whip and they just drool. " Fornell sighed and tried and failed to look sad at the fate of the pitiful creatures before them.

Gibbs and Fornell turned and stared intensely, unblinking at the five men huddled on the floor.

"So which one will be first?" Fornell pleasantly enquired of his old colleague and a tiny whimper escaped one of the men at the back as he shook beneath the intensity of their gaze.

Gibbs smiled unpleasantly "That one."

(

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

)

"Holy Shit. It's a fundraiser. She's using McGee to terrorise the Government into increasing funding to the Agencies" Tony sucked in his breath as Gibbs slammed the photo up against the glass portion of the door so they could see who he had identified.

"That's Ellie! But isn't she CIA? You know at least on our side? I don't understand" Ziva furrowed her brow trying to take in all the information.

Jenny just shook her head. All the pieces were starting to fit together. This had never been an undercover operation, utilizing McGee's computer skills and security clearance. It had all been a ruse to obtain McGee's silence. And essentially hers.

Ellie may have been CIA but she had gone rogue and was now planning on executing Tim and throwing his corpse to the press to be torn apart by moral crusaders and philosophers. She might also have been taking private bids from various groups. Chaos and panic was always helpful to someone, especially when it involved the Government.

When Sacks had brought in a pile of photographs to try and identify his employer a woman the man knew only as Mystic, they never suspected he would shuffle through to the bottom of the pile and pick out one of the few people they did know, Ellie.

Jens eyes were wide as she watched Gibbs quietly rage next to the mans ear. His silence was always more terrifying than the rough gravel of his voice. She closed her eyes. Gibbs should be raging at her. What had she done? She had encouraged a young inexperienced under cover field agent right into the arms of a psychopath.

And now he was going to be brutally sacrificed… if he hadn't already.

Tim.

The man nodded to something Gibbs asked, cowed completely. Gibbs stood and opened the door.

"Eric here is going to drive the delivery of explosives to the location he has just given me. And we're going to assist him aren't we Eric? And he isn't going to warn anyone in anyway are you Eric?"

Eric shook his head and twisted his hands before Tony escorted him firmly across to the truck.

Fornell gave instructions leaving some of his agents to secure the site as a crime scene before gathering up the rest in the carpark.

"Right people I know this has been a long night, but it's not over yet. So keep your wits about you. Gear up!"

(

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Ellie stepped out of the building and shivered. Snow. The first tiny fall of snow was covering the ground. Ellie didn't like snow. It made footprints too clear and it ruined her expensive shoes. Still not long now. She liked the poetic justice of Tim 'suiciding' just as the first bright rays of the new dawn split the sky.

Run Timmy! Run from the searing flames. Run faster! And then the agonizing crack of a single gunshot to the temple. The splatter of hot red blood and brain exploding across the crisp white snow. The coppery tang of fresh blood scents the cold morning air.

Oh no. Poor Tim. So promising.

The solitary twisted body sprawled out, gazing blankly at the sky, quickly flooding the cruel white with his precious red. Boyish innocent features quickly comparable to cold smooth marble than the soft warm flesh of a moment ago. Tim, surrounded by both purity and blood would seem like a tortured snow angel as the first bright streaks of color washed the sky free of the terrible night.

Beautiful. A beautiful death really.

Besides it meant that all the best footage and most exciting coverage would come as people were waking up. And then it could run and unfold as she leaked out information to the press building the story and the drama all day. Hopefully if she did it right the President might issue a statement on behalf of the Government Agencies right smack dab in the middle of Prime time.

Explosion. Federal Agent killed in the line of duty? Islamic Community in uproar. Federal Agent suspected. Top level security breaches. Agent turned terrorist suicided? Accusations. Fear. Betrayal. Confusion.

Tragic.

Ellie smiled. It was going to be a good day.

"Federal Agents! Freeze!"

Too late.

Ellie felt several strong hands around her and she screamed and struggled. No! Not now! Not when she was close!

Gibbs dragged her away from the building "Where is he? Where is McGee? We know you have him. We intercepted your explosives and have five of your men in custody."

Ellie smiled up at the silver haired man. She always liked the powerful ones.

"You intercepted my _secondary_ explosives? How clever of you." Ellie slipped her hand into her pocket and released the timer on the trigger device.

Click.

Gibbs heard the tiny sound and saw the smug expression on Ellie face.

Gibbs looked up horrified but it was too late. Ziva who had been standing beside him was already off at a run.

"No Ziva!"

"He's still in there Gibbs!"

Gibbs watched as Jenny came around the corner headed for the entrance of the school.

"No Jenny!" Without hesitation Gibbs launched himself towards Jenny running several steps and placing his body between hers and the school.

Suddenly a wave of all too familiar devouring heat hit them and knocked them to the ground as the school violently exploded, shredding the air with flaming screaming debris.

(

(Oh now come on! That has to get a review? Please tell me what you think. Does help me write faster. I hope you are enjoying the increased pace of this story. Hope the switching of view points isn't too disturbing. And thanks for reading! Precious)


	23. Chapter 23

Tony was following Ron Sacks around the back of the building when the world promptly ended. It ended very loudly right in his ear complete with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse dancing their mighty steeds iron shod hooves all over his head.

With a groan Tony staggered upright again to look at what had been a school a moment earlier and was now simply smoking black ruins.

Tony's highly intelligent and trained mind leapt instantly encompassing all the possibilities.

A bomb. A bomb had gone off in the school.

McGee?

Tony turned at the sound of the muffled groan not far from him. Surrounded in debris Ron Sacks lay collapsed in a crumpled pile. Tony clawed the shattered timber, half a plastic chair, what might have been a kite and some roof insulation off the FBI agent.

"Hey there Slacks! No laying down on the job" Tony grinned as he helped him sit up.

"I thought I might have gone to Heaven for a moment there, and then I heard your voice and I realized nope, if you were here it had to be Hell." Ron's muffled voice rose up sarcastically amid the wreckage.

Tony smiled as he crouched down beside Ron "You ok? Can you get up?"

Ron grimaced "My leg, I think it's broken"

Both men peered down at Ron's left leg which was twisted into an unnatural shape in front of him, blood just starting to seep through his trousers.

"Okay we need to get you up and around to the front. I'm sure an ambulance is on its way. I'm sure the entire neighborhood is probably on the phone to emergency services right now after that almighty wake up call."

Ron gritted his teeth, leaning his weight on his right leg and allowed Tony to awkwardly pull him up.

"Ok Ron?" Tony took a step and waited as Ron matched his tentative pace. Ron simply nodded his entire attention on avoiding stumbling on the slick snow melt covering the rough ground.

"Just because I'm letting you bleed all over me doesn't mean were friends or anything." Tony gritted his teeth as he tried to take more of Ron's weight knowing the jostling of his leg must be agonizing.

"You're a real Bastard you know that DiNozzo?"

Tony considered this for an instant before he smiled "Thanks Ron"

'It's not meant to be a compliment, Tony" Ron gasped out, beads of sweat trickling down the side of his face.

"Hey you're talking to one of Gibbs' team we take whatever compliments we can get"

"I'm sorry about McGee.." Ron tilted his head in the direction of the still smoking school

Tony blinked rapidly. Smoke must be getting into his eyes. Stupid painful smoke was making his chest hurt too.

"Hey trust me McGee will be fine. Consider it an initiation. Gibbs got blown up and he's fine. Took some time off, lost some memory but basically he's still here. I was supposed to be blown up in a car bomb, they thought I was dead for hours. They even had a body but still here I am. It was actually about time McGee got blown up really. He doesn't like to miss out on stuff. He'll be fine. Really. Scouts honor. Not that I am a scout or have much honor… but McGee was…. Is…. McGee IS a scout and he … he's fine."

Ron just nodded and Tony was glad he didn't look at him as with his arms around Ron practically carrying him he couldn't wipe away the hot tears starting to spill down his face.

Stupid smoke.

Ziva lay on the ground where the blast had thrown her, her ears ringing from the concussive shock, her eyes wide open. It wasn't a devastated school yard lightly covered in snow that she saw though. Instead it was a crowded bustling market place on a hot day. A riot of bright color and noise.

"Tali"

Ziva was laughing, running, trying to catch up with her beautiful younger sister being swept away in the thick crowd. Then the bomb went off.

"Tali!"

She was too late to save her and arrived only in time to see her broken body draining its life onto the pavement.

She could never seem to run fast enough. She ran every day and yet she hadn't been fast enough to save Tali.

To save Tim.

Every morning she pushed her body harder, faster feeling the strength flowing through her lean muscles and hearing the constant smooth tick of the stop watch as she timed her runs. Another minute off. Not enough.

Ziva lay in the dirty cold slush and wept silent shocked tears.

"Jen? Can you hear me? Jen! Answer me?" Gibbs tried to keep the panic out of his voice. She seemed so tiny, like a little frail rag doll. His own momentum and then the blast had resulted in Jenny being thrown to the ground violently, knocking her unconscious. He had sheltered her from the falling wreckage with his body but now kneeling beside her he frantically ran his hands over her checking for unseen wounds.

"Gibbs?" Jens voice was a whisper as she stirred but it was enough and Gibbs sagged for a split second and sent up a prayer. Thank you.

"What …. What happened?" Jenny tried to focus on his face but everything seemed to be spinning around her. Whys was Gibbs moving like that?

"There was an explosion. Ellie set it off"

"Tim?"

Gibbs just shook his head. "We don't know."

Jenny blinked trying to clear her vision "Ellie?"

Gibbs almost snarled his frustration "She used the explosion to escape from the agents holding her. Everything was… is chaos. Fornell is doing a head count. We have several injured at least. Tony and Ziva are ok though"

Jenny tried to get up and Gibbs' firm hand on her shoulder stopped her "Not just yet Jen. Stay down a moment longer, otherwise you're only going to fall down."

Jenny nodded and sagged back down fighting off sinking back into the comforting blackness. What had she done?

The image of Tim sitting relaxed on the rug with her in front of the fire flashed into her mind. It ran like screen footage with jarring close ups and art house jazz playing in the background. Tim laughing with her in the flickering firelight as he tried to explain how he spent the entire morning showing Gibbs the new information access system. His jacket thrown across the back of her couch, a glass of red wine in his hand as he rolled his eyes in mock frustration. His collar loose, his bright eyes smiling and his full lips moist from the rich wine.

He had this little duck of his head as if after all the time spent with her he was shy or somehow in awe of her. He would watch her with his big eyes when he thought she wasn't watching, as if wondering what she would taste like if he dared to kiss her.

Would he have continued to work with Ellie if she hadn't been involved? If he hadn't been trying to show her what he could do?

Jenny closed her eyes and tried not to throw up.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Gibbs picked up the half melted and grotesque plastic teddy bear which had recently changed occupation from children's toy to airborne missile from where it lay half covered in the light fall of snow.

Still looking at the bear's one good eye he picked up the phone to make the call he never wanted to make.

"Abby?"

"Gibbs? Have you found him?" Abby's hope tore at him like razor sharp daggers

"No Abby. We haven't found him yet. There's…… there was an explosion where we believe they were holding McGee. I have already called for Ducky to come down here."

"Ducky? Why would you need Ducky?" Gibbs closed his eyes as he felt the tremor in her voice through the phone

"There are bodies, Abbs. Caught in the explosion. We need Ducky to help us identify the bodies."

All Gibbs heard was a gasp before the phone slipped from her grasp and fell with a clatter against the hard floor.

(

(I know Im terrible but terrible in a good way? Not long to go now. Please review and let me know your reading. Thank you Precious)


	24. Chapter 24

Jenny gave herself a mental shake. She was the Director of NCIS. She should be the one leading these people, giving them directions and a focus. Many others had been injured far worse than she was. Gibbs always told her she had a hard head and now she needed to prove it.

Jenny sat slowly up, brushed off the concerned hands and then stood. Immediately she felt better. Yes she was Director Jennifer Shepard and she was in control. She took a deep breath and felt a second's disappointment at herself for the moment she had wallowed in despair.

Get a grip Jenny. McGee may not even be dead. She said it herself again and felt hope surge through her. She would NOT loose another agent. She was through with making those calls, attending their funerals, shaking the hands of the family. Tim might well be still alive. Alive and waiting for them to come and save him. He was a good agent. More than that a great agent. He was one of Gibbs' team. One of the best who learned from the best. The same way she had.

They had been in the dark this whole time, who knows if he had even been held here at all?

The sooner they could sort out this mess the sooner they could find out where he really was being held and release him.

A smile flickered across Jenny's lips as she remembered the determined look on Tim's face the day he had given her a lift to the race track for the driving lessons.

_Tim swerved suddenly and pulled off to a side entrance rather than going through to the car park. He turned to Jenny, the motor idling._

"Do you ever get tired of being underestimated?"

"What do you mean?"

Tim smiled sadly at her. "Of course, you wouldn't get underestimated. You're Director Sheppard" He turned and looked out onto the race track and looked pensive for a moment.

Jenny felt the change in mood and wasn't sure what had brought it on.  
"Tim?" She reached for his arm when he suddenly turned to her and smiled.

"Jenny, do you trust me?" He revved the engine and the huge horsepower under the bonnet leapt into life straining against its restraints.

Jenny looked across at the man she had gotten to know so well over the last few months. He was so much stronger than she had ever guessed. He showed a passion and drive she was only now beginning to recognize. His complexities were enthralling to her. So intelligent and yet still so trusting of the world at large, even with all he had seen. How could she not trust him when he trusted her with so much?

She smiled and faced him.

"Yes, Timothy. I do"

Yes Timothy I do. Jenny repeated it to herself. She trusted that Tim had been able to keep himself alive long enough that they would be able to save him. And in so doing she could save herself for her demons.

He had been right that day. He was always underestimated. Underestimated by everyone except the very people who selected him of all people throughout the agency as being the biggest and most believable threat to the Nation.

Jenny vowed that she would not underestimate NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee ever again. And she would tell him that in person when she found him.

Firm in her resolve Jenny turned to Gibbs.

"Give me a Sit Rep Agent Gibbs"

Gibbs turned to her a slight smile on his face as he heard the hint of steel back in her voice. The smile quirked for a spilt second and Jenny instinctively stepped to her side, too many hours as Gibbs partner telling her something was wrong.

But it was too late as Ellie stood beside Jenny and cocked the safety back on the SIG she held in her hand and held it to Jenny's temple.

"Hello Director"

Agents rushed in from all sides their own guns drawn and Gibbs heard Fornell swear.

Gibbs held up his hand holding off the tide as he watched Ellie's beautiful eyes as she stepped even closer to Jenny and wrapped her arm around her neck.

"So Ellie. What is it you want?" Gibbs kept his voice calm even though all he wanted was to lunge at this woman and tear the gun away from Jenny head.

"Well let's see. I wanted Tim dead and although it wasn't quiet the beautiful death I had envisioned your untimely arrival still achieved it."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and considered his options. Was she telling the truth or just trying to tick him off so he would make another mistake?

"McGee isn't dead" Gibbs stated this as fact. As he said it he knew in his gut that it was true. He didn't know where he was or in what condition but somewhere Timothy McGee was alive.

"Oh how touching your faith. He is certainly dead. He was tied up inside the building that you set off for me. So you see his death is really your fault. You made me pull the trigger. Pity. He did idolize you so much. How sad that that person he put so much faith in was the very man that killed him. Ironic really." Ellie smiled as her blonde hair whipped around her beautiful features in the chill breeze.

Gibbs tried to keep her talking to give everyone a chance to consider their options. Ellie's eyes flicked across the agents as they shifted from foot to foot trying to spread their presence and make it harder for her keep them all in sight. But Ellie was trained in the same maneuvers they were and she knew what their next move should be. Would be. Gibbs also wasn't sure if Ellie was completely rational.

Gibbs met Jenny's eyes to try and see what she would do. Elbow her in the ribs? Kick her leg out from underneath her? It seemed Ellie expected just that and was making any position Jenny tried to position herself impossible. Ellie whispered something in her ear and Jenny with a quick look at Gibbs stopped her struggling. Ellie laughed and narrowed her eyes at Gibbs. Waiting.

"So now what are you going to do? Take the Director as your hostage and try to get away? You won't get far Ellie."

"Oh I know that much Agent Gibbs. Please I'm not an idiot. I wanted to get on the evening news and I'm sure the death of Director Sheppard here will most certainly achieve that"

Ellie smiled at Gibbs and pulled Jenny in close to her.

Suddenly the chill morning quiet was broken by the thunderclap of a single pistol shot.

"Jenny. No!"

(

(Ok that is the last of the cliffhanger chapters. I think? Not long to go now. Please review even if its just to tell me your reading. Next chapter is what happened to Tim.Yahh)


	25. Chapter 25

Tim's head sagged forward and he jerked it up automatically. A wave of blackness threatened to overwhelm him again and he fought it off blinking his eyes furiously as they watered. Tim strained to get his thoughts in order but all he felt was a roiling urgent need to vomit. Urgh Tim hated throwing up and in his current position tied to a chair it would mean throwing up on himself. And possibly choking.

No. No. No. Breathe Breathe. He fought the sensation, breathing deeply and swallowing the extra saliva with the practice he had acquired battling seasickness. His body protested the deep breathes he was taking as the kicks and punches he had painfully received to his stomach earlier made themselves felt.

With a final swallow Tim felt the desire to throw up thankfully dissipate and he slouched back into the chair in relief.

The battle with his own bodily urges seemed to have refocused his mind and Tim blinked and opened his eyes to assess his situation.

Bad. It was bad.

Tim sighed quietly to himself and then winced as his body reminded him that it was painful to sigh too deeply. He was still in the school, tied hands and feet to a chair. One of the goons from before was in the far corner asleep stretched out on the floor with his head on a large My Little Pony's pillow.

Tim rather maliciously hoped that all the Pony's would magically come alive and kick this guys head in. At least enough so that his head would hurt as much as his own did. Ellie must have knocked him out judging by the time that seemed to have passed and the thumping sensation going on at the back of his head.

Ok so other goons off doing … whatever it was they were ordered to do. He had to get out of here before Ellie came through with her threat to explode the school and kill him.

Duh! Tim rolled his eyes at himself. At least that wasn't too painful.

Come on Tim get your thoughts together! He wasn't sure if it was because of the earlier drugging or the blow to the head but he didn't feel quite his usual responsive self. Still Tim began quietly wriggling and twisting trying to test the ropes and see if they had any weakness. Nothing. Well nothing except the additional agony of rope burned wrists.

Well what would Gibbs do in this situation? Tim smiled for the first time in what felt like months. Gibbs would save him even if he wasn't here.

Rule Nine- Never go anywhere without a knife.

Tim had always tried to be prepared for whatever Gibbs threw at him. To anticipate.  
So generally he always had two knives on him. One small knife blade was part of a multi purpose computer tool that was part USB key, part wire stripper, part tiny screwdriver that he used when doing urgent repairs. He was sure he would have felt the weight of it in his pocket so it must be sitting somewhere on his kitchen table along with his gun, badge, wallet and most precious of all, his phone.

That left knife number two. Well strictly speaking it wasn't a knife more of a small extremely sharp blade that was partially hidden in a slit on the inside of his leather belt. When he wore his belt the blade was essentially on the center of his back and it was so small it didn't affect his movements.

Tim twisted his hands and wriggled his fingers and painfully managed to insert the tips of two fingers in under the edge of his belt. Just a bit to the….  
Tim cursed silently his eyes still watching the sleeping goon. Next time he was going to have a great big knife. Yeah. One that could cut through these ropes with one slash. Yeah a big Bowie knife.

Wait. Next time? Tim hoped there wouldn't be a next time and admitted that if the blade had been any bigger it probably would have been found as they would have surely have checked his unconscious form for any weapons before disappearing him out of his apartment.

Triumph surged through Tim as he managed to snag the raised edge of the blade with his fingernail and slowly pull it free of his belt. He held it tightly between his fingers and managed to transfer it to his other hand. It suddenly felt so tiny in comparison to the thick ropes and Tim felt his hopes of escape dissipate.

_head slap_

Tim mentally head slapped himself. Come on Tim don't waste time. He selected the coil that seemed most probable and quickly started work on it with the razor sharp blade.

An eternity of aching twisting tension as he strained behind himself to maneuver and wrists rubbed bloody as he kept up the pressure on the small blade and suddenly he felt a lessening of tension in the ropes that bound him.

YES!! He continued and a moment later he was able to free one wrist and then with a slither the ropes dropped to the floor. With his eyes still watching the sleeping and now snoring man in the corner he quickly released his ankles from their rope tormentors.

Now GO! Quickly quietly. Get out of here and get to Gibbs to raise the alarm. No wait. There were at least two more men and Ellie was around here somewhere too. Don't catch their attention before you have to.

Tim stood and swayed slightly as his body adjusted to its new upright position and his stomach muscles screamed their complaint at him while his head pounded. With a slightly dazed blink Tim took off his shoes to prevent the tap tap sound across the hard floor and wearing just his black business socks he tip toed cautiously out of the room and out into a corridor.

Tim muttered uncharitably to himself. What a great undercover agent he was turning into! Wow he should get a medal! All this time he didn't know what was going on and then when he thought he was finally going to find out, it turns out they just want him dead! A field agent who got taken from his OWN APARTMENT? Oh my Gibbs was going to have a field day.

How embarrassing. What would Jenny say?

Tim limped along in the freezing cold slush of the pre dawn bitterly regretting leaving his shoes behind. In just his light business shirt and trousers he felt like he was frozen solid. It didn't help that he was soaking wet after stumbling and falling into a tiny puddle that turned out to be secretly the size of the Grand Canyon. He seemed to have literally stumbled into some sort of park that was next to the school.

It couldn't be that big so Tim figured he would cut straight through the middle and hope for houses on the other side. He couldn't hear anyone following him and decided speed would be better then trying to hide from any attackers. He walked as quickly and quietly as he could, slightly curled over to relieve the pain as he shivered violently stimulating further aches and pains.

Snap. Tim with his eyes down checking for dangerous killer puddles walked straight into a slender branch that tore at his cheek. Owww

Stupid tree. Great. Now to his lists of injures he has to add being assaulted by a tree branch. A tiny warm trickle of blood dripped down his cheek but Tim didn't bother to wipe it away.

Tim sniffed and shuffled faster. He was feeling sorry for himself again but at this stage he didn't care. His head hurt and he was cold and he still felt a bit weirdly woozy and his stomach hurt and his wrists were actually bleeding a little and there was this awful taste in his mouth……..

Thank god he didn't throw up on himself. That would have been disgusting.

Wow great job Tim. You managed to not throw up on yourself. Well done!

Oh for warmth. For heat. A small fire anything so that he could stop these painful chills wracking his aching body.

Tim's wish was granted as a fireball exploded behind him sending burning flaming debris whistling through the murky darkness towards him.

(

_(Thank you to those who are still reviewing. It does mean a lot to me! Not too far to go now)_


	26. Chapter 26

Tim peered anxiously over his shoulder at the scene behind him from where he had hastily thrown himself as various bits of building seemed to launch themselves loudly at him. The scene was filled with an acrid burning plastic smell and billowing dark oily smoke poured up from what remained of his brief prison.

Wow. Ok so Ellie hadn't been kidding about blowing up the building. Perhaps he shouldn't make anymore wishes for a while since they seemed to come true in a strange sort of parody of what he was really after.

Heat to warm himself with. Yes. Exploding buildings. No.

Tim sighed as he sucked and slurped his way back up to a standing position. Yech now he was covered in freezing wet mud and leaves. Perfect.

Tony had survived being practically blown up and had stepped off that lift looking like James Bond. He on the other hand must look like a muddy bloody shoeless slightly singed Sasquatch. Perhaps he could scare any attackers away? Maybe there was a knack to it that came with practice?

Now if Ellie was still following her timeframe he should be dead anytime soon.

Blow up school. Check.

Kill NCIS Agent McGee and blame him for explosion. Working on it.

It was enough for Tim to quickly gather his disjointed thoughts and hurry off skirting the still flaming debris still scattered about, his frozen feet protesting the rough ground. And then he stopped at the sight of a kitchen knife wedged into the back of what might have been a child sized craft table. Or a blackened unicorn cut out. Or a large section of floorboards. It was a bit hard to tell.

Rule Nine: Never go anywhere without a knife.

Tim gingerly wiggled the long still warm blade out of its resting place and without any better option slid it under his belt. He might look ridiculous but Tim felt better at least having some sort of weapon on him. He might be a muddy bloody shoeless slightly singed Sasquatch looking thing but he was also a highly trained NCIS agent who was now armed.

Tim quickened his pace and was again thankful for the time Ziva had taken to show him how to throw a knife. When his first attempts had proven to be less than stellar she had taken him aside and arranged to show him one on one. He could remember her warm body curled around his as she tried to show him the correct position for the release, her eyes laughing as he hit the target with the handle causing it to skitter away, yet again.

Tim mentally took stock as he jogged carefully through the small park ducking further tree branches and searching for signs of habitation. It seemed that near death experiences did that to you. Cleared your mind in a way and showed you what was really important. Tim stated making a list.

He must remember to thank Ziva for the knife lessons and all the other things she had taken the time to show him when he was out of this mess. The last time he had seen her she had been sitting on his bed begging him to trust her. Asking him to trust her the way she trusted him. Damn she was beautiful. And then he had gotten scared and pushed away her dangerous questions by telling her he was having an affair with the Director. Tim promised himself he would make sure that Ziva knew that he did trust her. He trusted her with his life.

He knew Abby had been growing suspicious that something was up and he promised himself he would make his gradual withdrawal from their friendship over the last couple of months up to her. He had had to. She could always read him like a book and as things got more complicated he hadn't been able to risk her looking into his eyes and seeing the truth. Because then she would have asked him and he would have been forced to lie to her. And she would have known he had. So now no more secrets. No more lies and he would make it up to her even if it meant enough black roses and headless dolls and Brain Matter CD's and caff pows to send him broke.

And he needed to apologize to Tony for being so weird with him lately when he had only been trying to help. Tim knew with Tony what he could do to show that he cared and trusted him. He would let Tony drive the Porsche. He wouldn't even need to say anything. He would just offer to take Tony out for lunch somewhere nice and flick him the keys. Tony would understand. Tim couldn't keep the smile off his face at the thought of his friend and his joy at being allowed to drive his precious car.

That brought Tim around to Gibbs. Gibbs didn't take apologies so Tim wasn't quite sure what he should do when it came to Gibbs. It was all bound to come out into the open now and he would have to tell Gibbs that he hadn't been the one person he had chosen to trust with his secret. First Tony betrays Gibbs and then he does too? What could he say? That he would take that decision back if he could? Would things have turned out differently if he had? Would he give up the time he had spent with Jenny and the things he had learned about her and himself for the faith of the man who lead him?

Tim felt his own anxiety swirl around him in confusion. It had been Gibbs who had backed him when he had killed Benedict and Gibbs had even forgiven him for protecting Sarah and not bringing her in when she was a murder suspect. Gibbs had been the one to defend him against Jenny as she defended the Agency.

He had shaped his whole career as an Agent on being a man Gibbs would respect. Would Gibbs respect that he needed to do this? Alone? To prove to himself as much as to anyone else that he could handle it. Timothy McGee could handle playing with the Big Boys.

Tim sighed and hoped that when the time came Gibbs would understand. And forgive him.

Jenny. Director Shepard. Once this was all over he wouldn't have a reason to talk to her late into the night or feel his pulse race at the thought of slipping off for a secret meeting with her. To catch that odd secret smile as he left MTAC that seemed just for him. Could it ever go back to the way it was before when she was just Director Sheppard? Professional, distant, unapproachable? Could he clear his mind of the image of her mouth when she laughed or of how she smelled in the morning when she leaned close and brushed his arm with hers?

Did he care for her or was it really an exciting infatuation with a woman beautiful, dangerous and in a way forbidden to him? Did he love her enough to throw everything away and exist in her shadow? He had only just started to step out into the light and forge his own path through life could he now freely abandon it to follow hers? Would she let him?

Tim's anxious, jumbled thoughts were swept away by a realization as he saw a large shape loom up in the dark.

A house! Finally.

Tim hurried up the driveway and stepped up onto the porch. With a self conscious brush down of his ruined clothes and a smoothing down of his currently wild silky fringe Tim knocked firmly on the door.

Suddenly the door was flung open by a pretty woman dressed in a silk robe and slippers "Danny Oh my God did you hear that explosion! I knew you would come ove….."

With a frightened glance the woman took in Tim and his bedraggled state, who obviously wasn't the Danny she was expecting and with a terrified scream she slammed the door in his face.

Obviously the brush down to make himself presentable wasn't enough.

With a tired sigh Tim knocked politely on the door again and tried to look as non threatening as he could as he loomed over the doorway with the large kitchen knife sticking out of his belt and the blood drying on his wrists and cheek.

"Whoever you are go away! I will call the Police!" The woman shouted through the now solidly locked door.

"Actually that's exactly what I would like you to do…. Ah Miss. My name in Timothy McGee and I'm an NCIS agent. That's Navel Criminal Investigative Service. I was being … ahhhh held hostage and managed to escape the explosion you obviously heard a few minutes ago. If you could just call NCIS or get the police to I'm sure they would be grateful."

It felt strange to actually say to someone that he had been taken hostage. It made it seem more real somehow as if by sharing that knowledge it became a truth. As Tim stood in the cold darkness of early dawn in front of this very ordinary looking house hearing himself say words like _hostage _and _explosion_ to a stranger he felt like he was in some sort of strange surreal play.

Ding Dong. Avon calling.

"If you're a Federal Agent where is your Identification?" The woman asked suspiciously from behind the door.

Tim tried not to roll his eyes as his patience began to wear thin. It wasn't her fault that he was hurting, cold, tired and hungry. And cold.

"I was drugged and taken from my apartment. My badge, wallet and gun are all still there. If you could please just call the police and let them know that I'm here. My name is Timothy McGee. N.C.I.S. I will step away from the door and just sit down over here for a minute."

Tim stepped away and sat on the steps sagging tiredly against the porch rail and ran his hands over his face, rubbing his itching eyes.

A nice hot shower. That's what he wanted to do first. Clean clothes. And then a nice hot meal. And then a nice warm bed. His bed. When all this was over and everyone was safe that's what he wanted to do.

The woman obviously considered her strange visitors story as she peered through the curtained glass beside the door before she disappeared, hopefully to call the police.

_Thunk_

Tim looked up with surprise at the sound and saw a mobile phone being pushed through a small window to land on the floor at the other end of the porch. He scrambled gratefully for it and grinning like an idiot thanked her profusely.

He could almost hear her shrug as she shouted at him from the other side of the door. "If you are who you say you are, then you need help…. And if you aren't then I have only lost a phone. And I already have a hell of a story to tell at Book Club next week."

"Thank you!" Tim called again before he sat back down and with trembling fingers called the first number he could think of.

It was busy. With a sigh Tim left Gibbs cell a message.

"Ahh Hi Boss! It's me. McGee. In case you didn't know I was taken from my apartment last night and… ok too much to explain now but I'm ok. I'm outside a house near the school that blew up. You probably have heard about that by now? I don't know the address and I… I'm using a cell that was leant to me so I don't know the number. Sorry not being very helpful so I will try and call someone else or will call back with more information"

"Um Excuse me?" Tim called tentatively

"Yes?" Responded the muffled voice

"Where am I? I need to know so they can come get me."

"218 Shenton Ave West. Make sure you tell them the West otherwise they could be driving around for ages" the disembodied voice helpfully replied

"Uh Ok thanks"

Tim tried Tony's cell. Also busy.

"Hey Tony this is McGee. I'm at 218 Shenton Ave WEST. Can you come and get me or if you're tied up can you send someone over? Long story. Hope to see you soon"

Tim considered the message and furrowed his brow. Stupid. Hope to see you soon? What was that? But what should he say? Hey you may or may not know but I was drugged and taken hostage last night. I managed to escape and now I'm God knows where and all I really want is to go home.

Maybe the team was busy searching for him? It was very early for both Tony and Gibbs to be on their phones. Tim punched in another number.

Abby sat and stared at the phone willing it to ring. Gibbs would ring any minute and tell her they found McGee safe and well. Any minute now. The hours had rolled past and Abby's eyes were red and swollen from the tears of anxiety that she had shed and impatiently wiped away. She sat on the ground in her lab leaning against the cupboards her arms wrapped around her bent knees with the phone on the floor beside her.

Ring!

Gibbs. Come on she needed to know!

Ring!

Abby glared at the phone as it refused to do her bidding. Gibbs would find him. She was his favorite and Timmy was hers (everyone knew that) so Gibbs would bring him to her. She knew it.

Ring Gibbs ring! Come on Gibbs!

When the phone suddenly rang and jumped across the hard floor Abby pounced on it as her adrenaline surged. Yeah! Come on Gibbs!

"Gibbs?"

"Hey Abby's it me"

Abby growled in frustration "Get off the phone McGee I'm waiting to hear from Gibbs and I have to keep the line free"

Abby shut the phone with an angry snap and then suddenly stared at the phone.

"Wait! McGee?"

Tim pouted in confusion as Abby hung up on him. An instant later the phone suddenly shrilled into life and Tim cautiously answered it.

"Hello?"

"McGee? McGee!!" Abby screamed in his ear and as he yanked the phone way to save his hearing he couldn't stop the smile on his face.

"Yeah hey Abb's" Tim tried to play it cool even as he grinned.

"Oh my God Timothy Don't you ever do that to me again! You were undercover? And working with the Director? She turned up to your apartment and they had already taken you and there is this joint FBI/NCIS thing and Fornell took them to some garden place but you weren't there but you probably know that already and then they went to some school and when they got there your whack job rogue CIA girlfriend, I knew something wasn't right with her the instant I met her, I mean my leather is cute what's with that? Anyway she blew the school up and it's being announced on the news already Agent Sacks had his leg broken and Tony had to carry him isn't that sweet and Tony said the Director is knocked out but should be ok I hope she is but I mean what would Tony know right and Tony well he was on the other phone before and they are getting ambulances and Ducky and Palmer are headed over and Ellie got away I was so worried don't you ever do that to me again do you hear me?"

Tim's head spun as Abby poured out her news in a rush.

"Uh Ok"

"That's all you have to say to me? Uh Ok?" Abby quickly turned from delighted to rather ticked off as the initial relief of finding Tim safe disappeared and left her exhausted.

"Sorry Abby. I'm just sort of absorbing it all. That's all. It's been a really weird morning"

"Oh my God your right. Are you ok?" Abby was back to being delighted he was alive and Tim was grateful.

Tim considered his aching stomach, his torn wrists, possible concussion and frozen extremities.

"Yeah Abby I'm fine. I'm going to go now though. If everyone is at the scene that means that I'm just across the park from them. So I'll see you soon Ok?"

Tim closed the phone and shook his head. Suck it up Princess. So it sounded like it might be a little while until they were able to come and rescue him. In fact it sounded like they were busy with their own injuries and problems. People who had come to rescue him now were hurt, Jenny was knocked out, they had a crime scene to secure, a fire to put out and a neighborhood to reassure for starters. And what had Abby said about Ellie?

So should he just wait for them? Tim considered that for a moment and then he straightened his back, sitting taller. No screw that. NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee could rescue himself.

And with that thought Tim waived to the woman still locked in her house, slid the phone across to the door and gingerly rather painfully started the walk back across to the smoking school to see his friends.

What should his first line be? Hi guys did you miss me? I just happened to be in the neighborhood? He wanted it to be something really cool like this sort of thing happened everyday. A funny thing happened on the way into work this morning?

Tim followed his own footsteps back through the light snow fall and grinned to himself knowing it would all soon be over.

(

_(Again a big thank you to those reviewing and for hanging in there with me for holy cow 26 chapters! Can't believe it myself. Still more coming. Thank you. Precious)_


	27. Chapter 27

The loud crack of a single gunshot split the silence of the early dawn and Gibbs cried out as Jenny, her eyes terrified but determined flinched at the sound.

But she didn't fall.

Ellie, her beautiful blonde hair matted with blood suddenly crumpled, twisting in mid fall to land on her back in the snow, her blue eyes still open showing the surprise of her last split second.

Gibbs' heart leapt and he lunged forward and gathered a shocked Jenny into his arms before he turned to thank the agent who must have snuck around him in order to have a clear shot.

"McGee!"

It was Tony's shout but it felt like it came out of Gibbs' mouth. Timothy McGee looking like he had climbed out through the Gates of Hell stood ten feet away his arms still extended and locked into a shooters stance, his hands wrapped loosely around a standard issue Sig, his eyes determined.

Gibbs felt a huge wash of relief surge over him and he tightened his grip on the woman in his arms. Jenny. McGee. They were both ok. Everyone was going to be alright. Thank God.

Tim watched with mounting revulsion and a sort of horrified fascination as the woman he had spent hours working alongside jerked with the sudden impact and fell dead from a single gunshot to the temple into the snow. He had hated her, feared her, been puzzled by her, even slept with her and now he had been the one to end her life. Noise that he didn't hear erupted all around him and he slowly allowed his tired arms to sag back down to his side and the gun fell from his grasp into the snow.

He glanced up to see Jenny held in the fierce grip of Gibbs who in that tiny instant had his eyes squeezed shut and was burying his face into her hair. Thank God she was alive. Jenny looked across at him from the comforting cage of Gibbs arms, her face conflicted with a thousand emotions. Relief, regret, anxiety, concern, despair, anger, sadness, gratitude all flashed across her face in that instant as she held his glance.

Thank you Timothy. She didn't need to say it and he didn't need to hear it. She was alive.

Tim took a step forward and looked down into the face of the angel in the snow. That's what she looked like, in that instant. Ellie looked like the beautiful Angel that used to sit at the top of his family Christmas tree and watch benevolently over their festivities. When he was little his father used to laughingly swing him up onto his shoulders and he would place the Angel on the top of the tree. When Sarah was older it became her task. Ellie her perfect face free of malice in that instant, her blonde shining hair a halo spilling out against the white, stared blankly past his shoulder into the morning sky as the first bright streaks of dawn pierced the air. The peacefulness of the striking image was marred only by the horror of her crimson blood spreading quickly across the virgin snow.

Tim felt himself blink back tears as they threatened. He wanted to go home.

Suddenly he was swept up in a bone crunching hug that would have done Abby proud. Tony was embracing him and practically jumping up and down.

"McGee. McGee. McGee"

Owww. Owww. Owww.

"Tony. Please!" Tim gasped as his ribs protested violently the rough treatment they were receiving.

"Oh sorry! Sorry!" Tony took a step back grinning in delight. "Man McGee you saved the day! Where did you come from? Where have you been? Where did you get the gun…. and that knife? You look like crap! What the hell happened? How did they get you out of your apartment? How did you get away? We thought you might have been blown up but I told Slacks there No way!"

Tony continued his assault on Tim's senses, grinning, shouting, his fingers digging into Tim's shoulders as the pool of scarlet angels blood continued to spread rapidly towards his feet. Reaching for him.

Red. So much. Blood. Tim swallowed down his sudden dizziness when suddenly he felt a calming, soothing presence at his elbow.

Ziva.

He felt her firmly push Tony off him and steer him away from the blood and he followed her almost blindly. Red blood on cold ice.

"Sit Tim"

He sat and winced as an EMT started assessing his injuries, shining a bright light into his eyes, getting him to count the fingers he held up in front of him, fingers probing into sensitive painful spots before covering him in a foil blanket, peeling off his thin wet socks and starting to rub some feeling back into his freezing toes and feet.

Tim blinked, feeling dazed. Where was he? Oh in the back of an ambulance. What had just happened? He shot Ellie dead with a gun snatched from the hand of another agent. Why had he done that? Because she had been about to kill Jenny.

Oh.

Suddenly the glorious sensation of a warm wet cloth wiping away the dried blood and sweat and mud from his face took over. Tim relaxed into its rough warm embrace and closed his eyes. When he opened them Ziva was smiling at him, the cloth in her hands.

"Better?"

Tim just smiled. He had no words. The cocky thoughts of his opening line had died the instant he came around the corner unseen from the opposite side and witnessed the drama unfolding in front of him. He knew that look in Ellie's eyes, even if the others didn't. She had been about to shoot Jenny dead and take satisfaction in it. Even if it meant her own death seconds later.

"Agent McGee?"

Tim looked down at the EMT crouching at his feet and gave him a grateful tentative smile.

"My name is Colin. I'm just going to slip these on and then I will have a look at some of those other injuries for you."

Tim just nodded as Colin slipped some padded foil boots over his bare still cold feet. He somehow felt better. It seemed weird to be barefoot. Irresponsible.

Tim looked up at Ziva, who was gently patting his shoulder, reassuring herself of his continued presence. He had been going to say something to her. To thank her. He had a list. A long list. From before. If only he could remember it. Tim opened his mouth to say something to her when Colin interrupted.

"Now let's have a look at those wrists"

Tim stuck his arms out from under the warm silver foil blanket and he heard Ziva make a slight hissing sound at the red raw and slightly bloody friction burns around his wrists. He flinched slightly as Colin started cleaning, disinfecting and then bandaging his wrists.

Tony sauntered over still grinning. Still grateful that his friend was alive. Not that he was ever worried.

"Hey there McLucky Shot. You ok? Gibbs is just securing the scene and then he'll be over."

Tony didn't mention that Gibbs and the Director seemed to having some sort of quiet intense personal argument and he had seen how reluctant Gibbs had been to release Jenny from his fierce embrace.

Colin was relentless in his friendly efficiency. "Okay let's take a better look at those ribs of yours. I can't do much about the heavy bruising on your abdominal area but I think you'll feel a lot better once you're strapped up. I can see you're leaning forward, taking some of your weight. Is it painful when I do this?"

Tim yelped in painful surprise and quickly smothered it, embarrassed. Tony looked sympathetic while Ziva shot Colin a menacing look.

'Let's get this shirt off shall we?" Colin helped Tim unbutton and take off his ruined and torn shirt, Tim wincing as he stretched up and felt his ribs twinge and his stomach twist painfully.

Tony stared and his list of witty comments died as Tim's heavily bruised and battered chest came into view. Instead of the soft pale flesh it was a riot of swollen blue, black and scratched red which Tony knew from experience would progress into livid green and purple.

Tim flushed as he felt his team mates staring at him.

"What happened McGee?" Ziva's voice was soft.

Tim shrugged, his eyes downcast. He didn't really want to talk about. He didn't want to have to _think _about it. The terror at being immobile, his own body unresponsive to his demands, the fear, the cold darkness. He knew they were waiting for a response so he kept it simple.

"They paralyzed me, stuffed me into a car, kicked me to see if I was awake, beat me when I tried to escape, tied me to a chair… oh and knocked me out by hitting me over the back of the head with something."

This was met with silence as his two team members absorbed the harsh information, the only movement coming from Tim himself as Colin continued to roll the pristine white bandages around his chest covering up the worst of the bruising.

"There that should help." Colin turned to pick up Tim's singed and ragged shirt between his fingers.

"I don't think there is much point in you putting this back on. It's pretty filthy and I don't think its going to help keep you any warmer."

Tim nodded quietly and miserably pulled the silver blanket closer around his shoulders. He suddenly felt so naked. Exposed.

"Hey McGee" Tony quickly unzipped his warm NCIS jacket and stuffed it into Ziva's surprised arms to hold before pulling his standard issue NCIS t shirt over his shoulders.

"Put this on." Tony stood naked from the waist up in the cold holding his t shirt out to Tim.

Ziva looked at Tony and smiled.

"What? We're about the same size. The man needs a shirt."

Tim reached out and gratefully slipped the still warm Tony scented cotton t-shirt over his head and covered himself before pulling the foil blanket back around his shoulders again. He looked up at Tony and smiled overwhelmed then ducked his head as he found himself blinking back tears. He felt safe. Warm. His team would protect him and watch out for him. It was over.

Tony swallowed the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat and quickly he grabbed his jacket back from Ziva and concentrated intently on zipping it back up.

"Don't you go telling any of those FBI girls I'm naked under here Ziva" Tony joked while Ziva just shook her head.

"We really should go and see if Gibbs needs a hand. You ok if we leave you here for a moment Probie?"

Tim nodded and smiled reassuringly. Suddenly being left in peace was all he wanted. No more questions, no more stares. Colin smiling sensed his mood and left to go tend to others still reporting in with less serious injuries.

There was only one person Tim really wanted to speak to that very moment. It had taken only a split second to make the decision but in that instant his mind was clear and he knew finally what he must do.

He looked up and smiled as the subject of his thoughts came towards him.

"Jenny"


	28. Chapter 28

Jenny smiled as she walked towards Tim as he sat in the back of the open ambulance. Some of her immediate fears were already eased as he looked better than when she had first seen him, the gun in his hands and Ellie dead at her feet.

He was wearing a dark clean t shirt under the blanket and his wrists were bandaged in clean white. His face was wiped clean and she could see a sharp thin cut running across his cheek. What had happened to put that there? A knife cut? A scratch?

She heard him say her name quietly with a smile of his own and instinctively she reached out and ran her fingertips lightly across the trailing cut. Would it scar? Would she be reminded of this day every time she looked at his face?

"Jenny. Please" Tim reached up and grabbed hold of her wrist lightly, just enough to stop her continuing to run her hands across his face. Tim looked behind her to see if anyone was there and then stood and holding her hand in his, shrugged off his blanket and drew her around the side of the ambulance away from prying eyes.

"Tim?" Jenny's voice was hesitant, questioning.

It was then that he reached for her. There was no hesitation, no fear as he cupped her cheek in one hand and pulled her towards him with the other. Leaning down he captured her lips in a deep soft kiss.

Their first mutual kiss. And it said goodbye more than any first kiss should ever be capable of. There was passion and desire and trust but overwhelmingly the taste of Tim's full lips was one of farewell. The ache of tears threatened as she leaned into his warm gentle touch. Her hand slid up his chest and rested lightly over his heart. She could feel it race under her fingertips and she knew what he was feeling no matter how calm he appeared on the surface.

They pulled back from one another and smiled sorrowfully at each other, breathing heavily.

Tim sighed quietly his hand still cupping her face. "I'm sorry Jenny."

They both knew they could never be. Not without hurting each other. Not without one having to change and sacrifice too much for the other.

That didn't mean it didn't hurt.

Jenny leaned carefully into his warm gentle embrace one more time and Tim leaned his cheek on her head as he wrapped his arms around her. What could she say? There seemed no point to words. They both knew what needed to be said. Each loved the other…. And it wasn't enough.

Jenny smiled sadly and then laughed quietly to herself. Tim pulled away and looked at her puzzled.

"Are you ok?"

Jenny smiled up at him, tall and strong and young in the bright morning light. After all he had been through he was concerned about her still. She nodded trying to find words to explain.

"Yeah. I'm.. I'm fine. I underestimated you … again. When you were missing and we thought you might have been killed in the explosion I told myself that you were ok. You were alive and that I shouldn't underestimate you. Because you're so strong and smart and brave and so kind and gentle. And you survived. Not only that you saved me."

Tim opened his mouth to say something but Jenny interrupted.

"Please Tim. Let me say this. Moments have a way of escaping and we never get them back even when we chase after them. I meant that even though I should know better and you have proved it to me more than once I am _still_ underestimating you. I came over to see if you were alright and I didn't know what I was going to say to you or how I was going to explain it. I'm supposed to be the older, experienced one in relationships and yet I didn't know if you would understand. And you…... You just knew."

Jenny smiled and hoped he understood what she meant. She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips "You are fearless Timothy McGee."

Tim smiled down at her, his expressive eyes sad. "And you are a wonder, Jennifer Sheppard"

There was in instant where they stood together and then the moment was broken. As it must.

"I should go…… I just wanted to make sure you were ok"

Tim nodded knowing it was true "I will be"

Jenny turned to go, wanting to slip unseen around the side of the ambulance and then she stopped.

"Thank you for saving my life Timothy" Jenny looked him in the eyes locking the sight of him standing there away in her mind. It was only as she turned and started walking away that she heard his voice just loud enough for her to hear.

"Goodbye Jenny."

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Gibbs stood still and watched as Tim reached for her and she came into his arms and responded to his kiss without hesitation. No words, no discussion, no arguing, no teasing.

He took a deep shuddering breath. Go, go now. He shouldn't be watching this. Watching them. Tim had been the one that had saved her. He had clawed his way out without the team and it had been Tim not Gibbs who had made the fatal shot.

Still he couldn't leave. He watched Jenny's lips, reading her words as they pulled apart. In an instant it was over and Jenny was walking away.

The last thing he heard was McGee's sorrowful quiet "Goodbye Jenny"

Gibbs staggered away his mind reeling. He didn't know what he should be feeling. Relief? Anger? Nothing?

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Tony's smile disappeared as he peered around the corner of the ambulance looking for McGee. He was here a moment ago? Where could he have disappeared to? It's not like he had a pressing engagement or anything surely?

Tony stepped back as if he had been stung.

Holy crap.

The Director of NCIS Jennifer Sheppard was _kissing_ NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee. On the mouth!

Tony peeked another quick look. Nope not a trick of the mind. Bad timing for a practical joke too.

No, this was no joke. There was a deep intimacy to the scene that stood the hairs up on the back of Tony's neck.

Suddenly he remembered the briefing back at head quarters. Ziva had said McGee told her he was having an affair with Director Sheppard. The Director had dismissed it as McGee trying to throw Ziva off her line of questioning.

Wow. Ok so maybe not.

Tony quietly tip toed away not wanting to broadcast his appearance. He needed to think about this for a moment. Was this new or had this been going on for months?

Once Tony wouldn't have thought McGee capable of hiding something like that. But since he didn't realize McGee was working undercover along with the Director in the first place who knew?

Where should he go other than away from here? Ziva? No. Gibbs? Hell no! Maybe he would go see if Sacks was ok?

This was turning out to be a very strange morning.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Ziva clutched McGee's phone in her hand. She knew how much he loved his phone, one of his expensive toys and she had come to return it to him. Instead she stood still in the shadows and watched Tony creep away and returned her attention to the couple in front of her. Both of them friends she thought she knew well. Was she happy for them? Could she be happy for them? They each deserved to have someone to love them and they were good people.

Ziva stuffed her own feelings down as she remembered the instant on the edge of Tim's bed only hours earlier … and a lifetime ago.

Was this a welcome or a farewell?

Ziva got her answer an instant later as she heard Tim's quiet voice.

"Goodbye Jenny"

Ziva tried not to smile as her heart lifted. And failed.


	29. Chapter 29

Ziva was lost in her own thoughts as she strode down the hospital hallway along with Tony and Gibbs on their way to see McGee. The hospital had wanted to run some tests to see if the tranquilizer they had used on McGee had had any lingering effects and keep an eye out for any signs of concussion. It looked like he was going to be here for a few days.

"What?" Ziva caught Tony peeking at her again. He opened his mouth to say something and then with a quick glance at Gibbs shut his mouth again with a snap.

An instant later he was doing it again. His hands were tapping on his thighs even as he walked, muttering silently under his breath, eyes shifting to look at Gibbs and Ziva every few minutes. He was basically freaking out in that oh so subtle DiNozzo way. Ziva knew perfectly well what image was burning itself into Tony's brain but she was happy to leave him in his current conflicted and confused state for at least a while longer. She had her own thoughts to worry about.

Tony felt like he was walking along towing a bright red wagon with a giant ugly MOAS sitting in it. A Mother Of All Secrets. A MOAS that rightfully belonged to McGee. A MOAS that seemed to be getting heavier and bigger every second and was currently leering gleefully at Tony from behind hairy twisted claws.

Tony wasn't particularly good with secrets, especially other peoples and generally felt no hesitation in rummaging through his co workers desks and personal belongings. This though was _Probie_ and _The Director. _Just to clarify again because it needed clarifying because even though Tony had seen it he just didn't believe it.

He had seen McGee and Director Sheppard _kissing_. Each other.

And not just some sort of well done, good job for killing the psycho lady sort of peck on the check either. Tony felt like it was written in neon lights somewhere in a banner above his head.

_NEWSFLASH!_

He _really_ needed to talk to someone before he just exploded from the stress of it all. Gibbs stepped away to speak to the Admissions desk and find out what room McGee had been put in and Tony saw his chance.

"Ziva?"

"What do you want Tony?" Ziva sighed.

Suddenly Tony didn't know what to say.

"Have you ever been really surprised by someone you thought you knew? Someone you trusted?"

Ziva stopped still for a minute and then slowly turned and stared intently at Tony.

"Yes Tony. I have"

Ah. Woops. She was talking about him.

Perhaps Ziva wasn't the best person to spill secrets too… about undercover relationships… and what can come from spending extra time alone with the Director.

"Well actually that wasn't what I meant. But you know…... I …..maybe…… you know we really should talk about that sometime…. you know ….maybe later."

The MOAS belched disgustingly and became larger and heavier sprouting warts all over its loathsome face. Ziva just narrowed her eyes at Tony then turned on her heel and walked across to Gibbs. Tony sighed and continued to pull his ugly burden along silently.

McGee was asleep when they quietly slipped into his room. There was something about McGee when he was asleep. Once Tony had heard a movie character claim that his Mother was upstairs sleeping the sleep of the just. He had never really understood what that meant but every time he saw McGee asleep he was reminded of it. It seemed the best description for how he looked, peaceful, face relaxed making him look even younger than he was and somehow pure of thought. Tony was sure he didn't look pure of thought when he was asleep. He probably smirked and talked dirty in his sleep. In fact he knew he did.

The three of them looked at each other, hesitant to wake McGee after his evening of adventures.

"Perhaps we could leave him a note so he knows we were here? Ziva pass me that pen over there." Tony pointed wildly at the cabinet on the other side of the room

"I would like to stay and wait until he wakes up." Ziva stood at the end of the bed arms crossed determined to be able to speak to him.

"That could be hours Ziva. He needs his sleep. I need my sleep. Pass me the pen."

"Get it yourself Tony. You're as close to it as I am." Ziva didn't budge

"Woah who got out of bed on the wrong side this morning"

"If you remember Tony I haven't been to bed yet so I haven't got up on any side yet."

"Yeah well .."

"Would you two shut up!" Gibbs growled and rubbed his tired itchy eyes. He _really_ wasn't in the mood today.

Gibbs looked down at the bed at Jenny's young lover and his battered team mate and friend. Tim looked so damn _young_ and Gibbs just felt old. Old and tired of stupid games. Games that got people hurt. Games that could have got people killed.

Was that one of the things that had attracted Jenny to Tim? His thirst for life? Being with someone who still saw so much around him that he wanted to learn and explore? A man who still saw people as predominately good and wanted to help catch those that hurt others?

Gibbs knew he battled weekly with the desire to simply toss it all in and go build that teak hot tub and damn the rest of the world. But McGee? He was one of the few men Gibbs had ever known who he could actually see rescuing a damsel in distress on a white charger, gleaming sword in hand and shiny NCIS badge stamped into his shield.

For a moment, just a moment did Jenny after all her battles long to be rescued?

Even Tony had his own private darkness that he hid behind jokes, pretty woman and movies. Gibbs knew that privately Tony envied McGee's easy place in the world and loving family and that when Tony said he never wanted to be McGee it was more about convincing himself of that than others.

With Timothy McGee there would have been no Shannon and Kelly, no alimony payments, no ex wives, no solitary nights in dark basements with too much Jack Daniels drunk out of jam jar glasses. With Tim, Jenny would get flowers and not just on her birthday, she would get opera tickets and someone to attend the opera with. She would get delight and enthusiasm instead of world weary resignation and a hatred of politics and the games that needed to be played.

And yet in the end it hadn't been enough. He knew what he had seen had been an ending and not a beginning. He had been initially shocked but in a way it had been a relief. Since the day Fornell had shown him the photos of McGee and Jenny together he had know on some level. And now? Now he knew that he was in love with Jennifer Sheppard. Again. But if Tim's youth, intelligence and delight in life hadn't been enough for Jenny and Tim to make it work, what chance did he have?

Tim blinked. He had been dreaming that Tony and Ziva were arguing and he had fallen asleep at his desk again. No. Gibbs was telling him off. No. Gibbs was telling Tony and Ziva off about something?

Tim blinked again and his dream world condensed into three faces peering at him.

Tim smiled groggily "Hi guys"

Tony beamed "You're awake! Hey there Buddy. How are you feeling?"

"Not much actually. I think they gave me some pain killers"

Tim shook his head trying to clear it as a dozen images flashed through his head. Most of them were painful, some he didn't even want to consider and none of them he wanted to talk about. _Red_ _Angels blood._

But still they looked expectantly at him. Waiting. All he could come up with was "Well that was a crazy morning"

Tony smirked thinking of all he had learned about his young partner in the last twenty four hours. "Tell me something I don't know"

"Ahh Ok." Tim considered for an instant searching for a distraction and smiled. He decided to utilize one of Tony's favorite tactics. Complete avoidance of any painful issue combined with something that would lighten the rather intense mood of the room.

"Ants don't sleep"

"What?" Tony looked confused wondering if the medication they were using on McGee was too high.

"You asked me to tell you something you didn't know. I figured you didn't know ants don't sleep"

Tony laughed relieved and looked at Ziva and Gibbs "Ants sleep. Of course they sleep. Everything sleeps. Don't they?"

Tim smirked happy to be able to stir Tony again as he had promised himself he would do more often.

"Tell me have you ever seen a sleeping ant, Tony?" Tim looked smug.

"You're pulling my leg McGee. You should just tell me, you know. I'm only going to Google it when I get out of here"

Tim shrugged frustratingly… and winced as his ribs protested.

"I believe I have seen a sleeping ant McGee." Ziva looked thoughtful.

"Was it dead or sleeping though Ziva?" Tim questioned

"How do you tell the difference between a dead ant and a sleeping ant?" Tony wondered aloud. Did they wear little tiny nightgowns like Wee Willy Winky? Did they snore?

"Is this some sort of joke?" Ziva seemed to be waiting for a punch line to come from either Tony or McGee and was eyeing them off warily.

"They must sleep. Where we can't see them. At night. You know, in their burrows." Tony was determined to prove himself right.

"In their burrows?? What are they rabbits? No they have…… what are they called…. Nests? No that's not it…. Colonies? Yes that's right colonies under the ground or in mounds" Ziva looked pleased with herself at this description.

Gibbs decided to cut through this ridiculous conversation. Sleeping ants? Everyone was definitely exhausted from the long activity filled sleepless night. Or at least he hoped that was what it was from.

"The Director will be over at some stage to talk to you and she wants a full debrief on what happened last night." Gibbs was official and cool. A subtle warning telling Tim that he would have to face Jenny again. And soon.

Tim sobered instantly and gave a small nod, grateful for the warning.

Tony bit his lip and tried desperately not to laugh at the idea of the Director giving Timmy Boy a _de-brief_. His struggles resulted in a fit of obscenely loud dramatic coughing complete with chest thumping as he tried to smoother the inappropriate laughter bubbling up. He thought he covered it well. Real smooth.

Gibbs quirked a brow suspiciously at Tony's antics.

"Sorry Boss. Hiccups" Tony attempted to look chastened as Ziva glared at him. He hastily grabbed a glass of water and swallowed several mouthfuls to give him time to calm down. De _brief. _Tony snickered again to himself.

Tim looked up at Gibbs where he stood at the side of the hospital bed, his face tired and his mouth showing lines of strain. It was strange but Tim never thought of Gibbs as old. He always seemed to have boundless energy and he was always at the front of the hunt, never sick, never tired. He never even sweated. And yet now in this instant Gibbs seemed tired. Old.

Tim thought of the man who shaped his career, personally selecting him to become a member of his team.

Whose rules saved his life.

Who he excluded from his confidence for months.

Who he had lied to by default.

Whose own life was put at risk when he came to save him.

On his long list of people he needed to talk to, Gibbs was right at the top. He honestly didn't know what he was going to say but then again around Gibbs he rarely did.

Jenny had told him moments had a way of escaping even when you chased after them and she was right. It had to be right here, right now before anything else happened.

"Boss. Can I talk to you? In private for a minute?" Tim's guilt ridden eyes searched out Gibbs's.

Gibbs nodded almost imperceptibly. Ok let's get this out of the way. He wasn't one for dragging things out. He preferred the direct approach. And he knew Tim well enough to know the kid was probably going to beat himself up if he didn't clear the air. He turned to see Ziva already hustling a resisting Tony wide eyed out the door.

"We will be waiting in the hall, Gibbs"

"Do you think that's a good idea? " Tony hissed to Ziva alarmed at the idea of a showdown between a tired, cranky and pissed off Gibbs verses a tired and hurting, morphine doped McGee. Who was talking about ants.

The door shut behind them before Gibbs got a chance to hear Ziva's reply.

Gibbs sighed and sat down in the seat beside McGee's bed

"Ok McGee. Spit it out"

Tim just nodded. Where should he start?

"I know you don't accept apologies. But I need to give you one and at this stage I don't care if you accept it or not but its something I have to do. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Things didn't work out the way I thought they would"

Gibbs smiled sadly "They never do Tim"

"It's not that I didn't trust you. You taught us that if we have to keep a secret tell no one and if you absolutely must then tell one person only. It had to be the Director. I had to know if what they were doing, approaching me had been sanctioned or not. And then once I was in… well to be honest I kept waiting for something to happen, a breakthrough so I would have something that I could come to you with. But the something never happened."

"Oh it happened alright. It's just that it happened to you McGee. And it nearly cost you your life. And the Directors"

Tim nodded and swallowed as he remembered that instant. The reverberation down his arms, the loud crack of gunfire, the prayer he sent up that his aim was true in the murky pre dawn light and he wouldn't kill Jenny herself.

Tim nodded, his lower lip trembling with determination "I just wanted so much to really know what it was like to be under cover. To really do some good. Just once I wanted to do something surprising and show people that I'm not just a good agent but I'm a good _Field _agent. Everyone just thinks of me as the computer expert but I want to be more than that. It sounds so crazy now but I was so happy that it was me that was approached instead of Tony or Ziva or one of the others. I thought here's my chance."

Tim opened his mouth to continue and Gibbs put a soothing hand on his arm halting him.

"It's ok McGee. I understand. Really I do"

Gibbs was surprised as he felt himself pinned with a McGee stare and he felt himself being assessed. Judged. An instant later Tim nodded satisfied.

Gibbs almost smiled. This whole thing might actually have been good for McGee. It seemed like he had spent a bit of time thinking about what he wanted once this whole thing was over and he knew what he wanted.

"There is something else Boss. Something else I need to tell you. It's about the Director…."

Gibbs again decided to cut to the chase knowing this whole subject must be painful for McGee. And for him. Still he had to give it to him. The man had guts. McGee didn't have to tell him and he certainly didn't have to tell him this now. It technically wasn't any of his business.

"It's ok McGee. I know. I saw you and the Director……. kissing back at the scene. I should have said something then… but I was a bit surprised. I'm ok with it. The Director is a single woman and can make her own choices."

Tim looked up at Gibbs, his big eyes surprised and then he squirmed in embarrassment.

"You saw?" Tim whispered.

Gibbs just nodded and smiled sadly "Yeah. And judging by the way DiNozzo's twitching and Ziva's glaring and dragging him outta here they both saw you as well."

Tim just sat back against his pillows with a wince and closed his eyes, absorbing this unwanted information.

"Boss?"

"Yeah McGee?" Gibbs was gentle. He could see the flush spreading up McGee's neck bright against the white pillows.

"I want you to know we never…."

"I don't need to know that you and Jenny never.." Gibbs forcefully cut McGee off. This was getting way too personal and he knew Jenny wouldn't appreciate it. Even if a part of him celebrated the news.

Tim flushed an even deeper shade of pink "No Boss that's not what I meant…. Although we never did _that_ either…. But what I _meant_ to say …. Is that _we never even got started_. The kiss you saw was it."

This time it was Gibbs who sat back surprised. He had known it was a goodbye but the way they just fitted together had made him think that there had been touches, kisses and embraces long before that one.

Gibbs opened his mouth and then closed it again. Perhaps all the times he had lain awake tormenting himself as his own imagination filled in lurid details of what McGee and Jenny might have been doing influenced what he saw?

Gibbs finally nodded "Thank you McGee. You didn't need to tell me that."

Tim smiled awkwardly "There has already been too many secrets around here and I don't want there to be any more."

Suddenly there was a squawk and a shuffling at the door and Tim could hear Tony and Ziva trying to restrain someone from coming in. Noisily.

"Gibbs! They won't let me in! Tell them it's alright!"

Tim smiled. Abby.

Gibbs shook his head, smiling. "Its ok let her in"

Suddenly a dark haired whirlwind shot through the door and launched itself at Tim. Tim held up his arms in defense of his cracked ribs and bruised stomach while Gibbs instinctively reached for her shoulders restraining her enthusiasm.

"Careful Ab's"

"Oh Timmy I am so sorry for hanging up on you! I KNEW there was something going on. Why didn't you tell me? Are you ok?" Abby bounced on the side of the bed while Tony and Ziva peered cautiously around the side of the door. Gibbs impatiently waived them into the room and they gingerly gathered around McGee's bed, assessing the two combatants curiously.

Tim shrugged and remembered his ribs again. He really must remember that. Ouch.

"Yeah I'm ok. They want to keep me in for a couple of days to keep an eye on me."

"Oh your wrists are all bandaged. What happened to them?"

"They tied me to a chair and my wrists got pretty roughed up while I was cutting my way out."

Tony and Ziva looked at each other and chorused "Rule Nine"

"Oh how did you get that cut on your cheek? Did they slash at you with knife? Did they cut you to make you bleed?" Abby's eyes danced with the horror of the situation and she reached across and gently ran her fingers down the cut.

What was it that made women want to do that? Tim wondered, remembering Jenny's gently trailing fingertips.

"Ah no Abby. Actually that one was my fault. I was looking for puddles and I walked into a tree branch."

Abby looked doubtful "You're just saying that so I won't be so worried about you."

Tim smiled "I wish. Nope actually that is true. Nothing more sinister than a tree branch I'm afraid. Although if you could keep that to yourself I would appreciate it."

Gibbs briefly caught Tim's eye and then he slipped out leaving the rest of them to discuss McGee's continual poor tree avoidance techniques. Gibbs sat down on one of the hard plastic chairs in the hallway and listened to his team chatter happily together. With a tired sigh Gibbs rubbed his hands over his face. He knew it was all a cover. He had seen the shadows flitting across Tim's eyes before he hid the darkness from them behind a happy smile. But he had also seen the steel in that same gaze and he knew that essentially McGee would be ok.

Tim was strong and like his young body he would heal. If anything this whole experience might make him stronger. It would certainly make Tony look at him in a different light.

Gibbs suddenly felt relief wash over him and ease some of the tension he had been carrying and he slumped forward leaning onto his knees. He of all people knew how different it could have gone. An instant and he could have been back at the Bullpen staring at another empty chair. Or cradling Jenny's limp cold body in his hands.

He knew suddenly that he couldn't afford to stay silent. Not anymore. Not now that Tim had released him. He wasn't sure how but he was going to have to tell Jenny that he loved her. She might well tell him to go to hell. But he had already let too many moments slip through his fingers. Gibbs felt calmer and more assured than he had in months as he listened to the laughter coming from McGee's room.

"Abby? Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Tony."

"Do ants sleep?"


	30. Chapter 30

Tim was humiliated to find that when he next woke with a start and a snort from his exhausted sleep to find someone in his room, he had been drooling. Yech. Wiping his mouth and attempting to sit up straighter in his hospital bed he blearily blinked his eyes. And suddenly really wished he hadn't been drooling. Jenny.

Jenny smiled at him as she watched the flush rising up his neck.

"Agent McGee" Her voice was soft but the choice of his title rather than his name instantly re established their relationship. Their working relationship. It was almost a relief to be able to fall back into their accustomed positions after the emotional overload of the last moments they had spent together.

A lingering touch, a searing kiss, a gentle caress.

And a goodbye.

"Director Shepard" Tim returned the greeting gratefully, relieved that as least for now there would be no awkwardness between them.

"I just wanted to let you know that Operation Big Boy is officially over. It ended when the woman you knew as Ellie was killed."

"That wasn't her real name?" Tim didn't even know why he was surprised. He should have realized he didn't know her the instant she took the gun that had been held to her head and turned it on him instead.

Jenny shook her head "Her real name was Julie Markom. She really was a deep cover CIA agent although it seems she lost track of her true purpose some time ago. Her fiancé was killed by friendly fire in Iraq early in the war and although devastated she insisted on continuing with her cover. It would seem that isolated by her own position and with little contact with any real family or friends she developed deep seated resentment towards her own Government and the war in Iraq. She was feeding back false information on her own activities to the CIA and we believe she may have developed a dependence on sleeping pills and other drugs. She was delusional and wanted to cause chaos with the Government and the Agencies she saw as protecting it."

Tim just nodded knowing the investigative machine rolled on whether he was awake or not. Autopsies had been done, reports filed, meetings held, jurisdictions allocated and teams prepped.

Ellie…. No Julie would be in one of Ducky's cold metal drawers by now her blonde hair spilling across the silver. Would her blue eyes be open, staring forever at blackness? Or would Ducky have closed them so she looked like she was sleeping? Tim plucked at the thin white covers on the bed. It was a sort of weave… what was it made of? Would it be wool? What if patients were allergic to wool? How would they know? Synthetic perhaps? A cotton blend?

"Tim?'" Jenny smiled softly and interrupted his distracted mind.

Tim looked up but his eyes insisted on darting around the room rather than settling on her face.

"Tim. Please look at me. You needed to kill her. If you hadn't I would be dead. And I for one am very grateful." Jenny smiled and reaching forward squeezed his hand before sitting back in her chair.

Tim nodded. He knew it was true but it didn't make it rest any easier with him. Ellie was a nice person once. A woman who had loved. A person who had been a Federal Agent like he was, who had once wanted to do good things. And now she was dead. And he had been the one to kill her.

Jenny patted his hand and stood to leave.

"I have read your written statements and we have already been able to put together what happened to you during the night. You don't need to worry about anything more. Rest up McGee. Your team is eager to have you back."

"Jenny, I mean Director Shepard. Please just one thing before you go?"

"Yes?"

"Gibbs came to see me and …. He saw us. He saw us kiss. By the ambulance."

Jenny's hand clenched around the edge of the chair but she stayed silent waiting for Tim to continue.

"I told him that… that that was all there had ever been. A single kiss. That we never even started."

"You told him it was nothing?" Jenny felt surprisingly affronted. Angry. They hadn't had much together but emotionally she felt like she had crossed mountains to be able to stand in his embrace.

"No! No I told him we never got _started_" Tim was leaning trying to see her face as she stood half turned away towards the door. He desperately didn't want her to misunderstand what he was trying to say. She meant too much to him still.

Jenny was silent for a moment as she digested what he had said and all that he meant layered underneath it. Then she turned and came over to the bed before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Tim. You didn't need to do that"

Tim smiled and reached out and held her hand for an instant.

"Gibbs may not say it but he cares for you, you know."

Jenny smiled and ducked her head a little from his gaze, almost blushing.

"I know"

Tim smiled softly "Thank you…….. for coming to see me ………Director Shepard"

And as suddenly as she arrived she was gone again.

(

**Three weeks later**

"Boss, do you mind if Tony and I take an extended lunch break today"

Gibbs looked across at his young agent in surprise. It was good to have him back, even if he hadn't been cleared to go back into the field yet. Currently Tony was delighted that McGee was saddled with desk duty as six months of over due reports had started to migrate across from his desk onto McGee's.

It was a slow day and his team certainly put in the overtime when he needed them to so Gibbs nodded "Sure, take your time. It would be nice to have DiNozzo out of the office for a while"

Tony pouted but perked up when Tim clapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on DiNozzo lunch, my treat whatever you want."

"Really? Whatever I want McMoneybags?"

"Sure. It's a nice day to get out of the office. I know why don't you drive?" Tim grinned and threw the keys to his Porsche to Tony who promptly snatched them out of the air greedily.

"The Porsche? Really? You're going to let me drive the Porsche?"

"Sure why not. Just don't scratch it"

Tony grinned delighted and threw an arm around Tim's shoulders. "You know I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful friendship, McGee"

Tim just rolled his eyes as the two of them stepped into the lift.

"So McGee, now it's just the two of us…. Man to man… did you and the Director ever… you know?"

"Ever do what Tony?" Tim played innocent although he knew exactly what he was asking.

"You know…any of those late night secret rendezvous ever lead to any Director/Probie hanky panky?"

"Tony! Get your mind out of the gutter. Besides you know I'm not one of those guys that kiss and tell!"

"Come ON McGee! I promise I won't tell a soul. Not even Abby."

The elevator doors closed with Tony's pleadings falling on deaf ears.

(

**Two weeks later**

Ziva frowned as she watched the knife bounce off the target butt first and disappear off into the secluded darkness of the evidence garage. Again. She huffed and turned an appraising eye on her worst pupil.

"McGee, I don't understand it. You seem to be getting worse instead of better!"

Tim shrugged apologetically "I'm sorry Ziva. I am trying. Thank you for taking the time to show me one on one though. I'm thought that maybe without Tony around I might relax a bit more and that would make it easier."

Ziva smiled. "That is all right McGee. Now let me just feel how you are standing when you actually release the blade"

Ziva stood directly behind McGee, one arm curved around resting lightly on his chest to check his balance and ran her hand up his throwing arm, mirroring his stance.

"Now pull your arm back, gently, don't tense ……"

Tim could feel Ziva's warm body moving with his as he leaned slightly back and then extended his arm and released the knife he was holding. Tim could hear Ziva's muttering behind him and tried to hide his smile.

"You are too tall! I can't see what you are doing wrong. I will try standing in front of you. I want you to put your arms down around me and copy what I do…"

Tim leaned down slightly to hear Ziva more clearly as she leaned her small body into his and smelled the fruity rich scent of her shampoo.

"….and then release!"

Ziva turned to look at McGee as her imaginary knife hit the target and his bounced off the edge of the dartboard they were using as a target. Again.

"McGee? Are you listening to me?"

"Sorry Ziva" Tim smiled and shuffled his feet a little, distracting himself from pulling her further into his arms.

"That is ok. I think we have both had enough for today. We will try again next week. After work. Yes?"

Tim nodded smiling "That would be great Ziva. Thanks."

Ziva patted his arm comfortingly and went to collect up her collection of blades now scattered around the garage.

"Are you going to come up with me?"

"Ahhh no thanks Ziva. My knife is around here somewhere and I want to find it before I go home. I need the practice."

Ziva laughed and with a waive of her hand she disappeared into the waiting elevator.

Tim waited an instant and then with a smirk he whipped out the concealed knife he had strapped to his other wrist and whipped it through the air following it with his eyes to where it landed, quivering in the dead center of the target.

"She doesn't realize you can do that, does she?" Jenny stepped out of the shadows from where she had exited the elevator a moment earlier.

Tim smirked, unsurprised by his new guest as he went and pulled the knife out and slipped it back into its slim sheath.

"No. What would be the point of private lessons if she did?"

Jenny smiled and inclined her head slightly "True. She might be a bit cross with you when she finds out though?"

Tim smiled softly to himself as he remembered the way it felt when Ziva wrapped her arms around him and stood up on tip toe to give instructions into his ear.

"It's worth it. Besides it might teach her not to underestimate me."

Jenny laughed "Oh yes that's a lesson I have already learnt. So you and Ziva…?"

Tim shrugged "I would like it to be me and Ziva …. But it's complicated"

Jenny sighed "Ah yes that I also know well.."

Tim smiled and came across and sat down next to Jenny on the edge of the table.

"So you and Gibbs?"

Jenny looked up at him in surprise and Tim quirked a smile.

"Gibbs and I have a … history ….which makes it hard to … and then I'm his Boss…. Buts he's so……..It's…….." Jenny struggled to describe the longest relationship she had ever not really had.

"Complicated?" Tim finished off

"Exactly."

"Well since you're my Boss's Boss…. Do you think it would be alright if I asked Ziva to a Fancy Dress Ball for the Washington Writers Guild…. as my date?"

"As your Boss's Boss?"

"Well you know Rule Twelve and all"

Jenny smiled "Ah yes. Well Agent McGee I think you're a sensible person and as long as your relationship doesn't interfere with your work then I think it would be fine."

Tim grinned "Why thank you Director. I think I will. So are you going to take some of your own advice then?"

Jenny looked at him confused "What advice?"

"As long as it doesn't interfere with your working relationship then dating a co worker could be considered acceptable. I mean it's not like you and Gibbs have a standard working relationship to begin with… your past together already influences everything you guys do …….and you know he cares for you…. And I think you care for him…..The way I figure it you might as well order around a happy Gibbs than try and direct a cranky Gibbs.""

"Have you ever considered a career in politics Agent McGee?" Jenny smiled at him and Tim laughed.

(

Gibbs sat in the cool silence of the very early dawn on his front step and watched as the world slowly came awake around him. He was wearing his favorite blue woolen sweater, the one with the holes precisely in the right spot in the elbows and the jagged stretched hem trailing threads. He leaned forward resting his elbows onto his knees and nursed his large cup of freshly brewed hot coffee and listened to the birds.

This was his favorite part of the morning. The part before the phone started ringing, the neighbors teenagers decided to turn their music on or he had to go to the hardware for more sandpaper. Nope it was just him. Alone in the gentle chill of the morning.

Gibbs was lonely. He didn't like to admit it to himself. Generally he enjoyed his solitude and sometimes after a week of DiNozzo, Ziva and McGee arguing and bickering he just craved it. But this morning instead of feeling peacefully alone he just felt alone.

"Hey" A familiar voice called out softly to him.

Gibbs looked up in surprise at Jenny walking down his front path.

"Hey yourself? It's a bit early for a morning visit isn't it?"

"Actually it's late for me. I haven't been to sleep yet. And I knew you'd be up. Do you mind if I keep you company for a while?"

Underneath the confident façade Jenny actually looked a little nervous, as if she wasn't sure if Gibbs would say yes or no.

Gibbs just smiled and shook his head.

"No I don't mind Jen"

He took a sip of his coffee and shifted across on the step to give room for Jenny to sit beside him.

"Do you want a coffee?" Gibbs asked after a moment's companionable silence that Jenny seemed reluctant to break.

"Yes actually. Don't worry I'll get it myself. I know where you keep the good stuff remember?" And with a bright smile that made his heart ache Jenny patted him on the knee and was up and through his screen door leaving him alone again on his porch step. But he wasn't alone.

"How would you feel about going somewhere for a nice breakfast? You know pancakes and fresh cream, crispy bacon, poached eggs, croissants, fresh fruit?"

Jenny's voice drifted out of his kitchen as she made herself some coffee.

Gibbs leaned back and smiled "Yeah that would be nice"

"And maybe afterwards we could go for a drive somewhere? Just get out of the city for a few hours?"

Gibbs smiled and felt happier than he had in a very long time. No it wouldn't be easy and no it would never be perfect but he was more than willing to meet her in the middle if she was.

"That's sounds great Jen"

(

Tony whistled as Tim walked past his desk dressed in an immaculate 1940's style dark blue pin stripe suit complete with silk tie, precisely folded white handkerchief, starched shirt and a very fetching fedora hat tilted at just the right angle to highlight his cheeky grin.

"Looking sharp Probilicious. What's with the suit?"

"I'm attending the Washington Writers Guild Fancy Dress Ball tonight. Since I write detective stories I thought I would go as Sam Spade"

"Now why do I know that name??"

"Sam Spade was the detective in The Maltese Falcon?"

"Oh, oh Humphrey Bogart. Great movie!

"No Tony great _book_"

Tony's eyes suddenly popped open as Ziva stepped off the elevator.

"Holy Smokes Ziva! Now that is a hell of a dress you're wearing tonight! Where are you off to and who is the lucky man?"

Ziva swept off the elevator in a fitted floor length fire engine red dress with a plunging neckline that left little to the imagination. As she stepped forward her toned, tanned leg was exposed where the dress was slashed up to the thigh with tiny red sequins and delicate embroidery curling its way along one edge. The smoldering look was completed with her long dark hair brushed smooth into thick waves down around her shoulders and bright red lipstick and nail polish to match her dress.

"I am McGee's date to the ball. I am a Gangsters Moll? A Dame? A Broad? Is that the word? You know his Mistress."

Tony was dumbstruck as Ziva looped her arm through Tim's, smiling up at him while Tim's eyes practically glazed over. Realizing he was grinning like an idiot and yet not able to stop himself, Tim reached up and tipped his hat to Ziva.

"You look stunning Ziva. As Sam Spade would say you look so good you could give a good man nightmares for a month. Thank you for going to so much effort."

Ziva smiled saucily and secretly admired the rakish tilt of Tim's hat. And the glint in his eye.

"You're going as McGee's date?" Tony suddenly pointed frantically at Ziva.

Tim shook himself out of his daze and turned frowning to Tony.

"You have a problem with that DiNozzo?"

"Ah yes McGee! Rule Twelve? Hello?"

Tim smirked "Yes well why don't you ring Gibbs and tell him all about it. I believe he is spending the weekend with Director Sheppard. But you should be able to catch him on his cell"

Tony's protest died on his lips "Really? Director Sheppard? Huh. Way to go Gibbs"

"Well shall we go Ziva? The chaffered Rolls Royce awaits. I think this is going to be a fantastic night"

"Yes Tim. I think I shall enjoy being your 'Mistress' for the evening"

Tony sat back and watched as McGee and Ziva, their eager eyes never leaving the other disappeared into the elevator.

"Well the Elf Lord and his Mistress.. who would have thought it?"

_(Well thats the end of this story. I hope it was a satisfying ending for everyone and that you enjoyed the story. Please let me know if you did! Thank you very much to my reviewers who kept me going when the going got tough. And I hope some more of you consider writing a McGee/ Jenny sometime as I think I have fallen for them myself.)_


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